Decoction, water infusion, volatile, alcohol extract of yin chen hao and its ingredients such as 6, 7-dimethoxycoumarin, chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid could promote bile secretions and discharge.

Hypodermal injection of yin chen decoction could protect the liver from injury induced by CCl4.

Gastrogavage of yin chen decoction at the dosage of 3g/kg to experimental hypercholesterolemic rabbits for 2~3 weeks could lower the serum cholesterol by 19.2mg% and 30mg%, b-lipoprotein was lowered significantly too. yin chen could antagonize the arteriosclerosis to certain extent. 6, 7-dimethoxycoumarin had anti-coagulant effect, and could increase the blood flow volume in the coronary vessles.

in vitro tests showed that yin chen decoction had inhibitory effect on staphylococcus aureus, bacilius diphtheriae, anthrax bacillus, typhoid bacillus, bacillus pyocyaneus, bacillus coli, shigella flexneri and shigella dysenteriae, etc..

Water infusion, ethanol-water infusion, volatile oil of yin chen and 6, 7-dimethoxycoumarin could lower the blood pressure. 6, 7-dimethoxycoumarin could increase the cardiac contraction of in vivo hearts of rabbits and cats.

Water extract of yin chen could significantly inhibit the growth of Meth A tumor transplanted in mice and prolong the survival time of tumor bearing mice. In vitro experiment showed that it had obvious cytoxic effect on several tumor cells. yin chen had initializing effect on the generation of tumour necrosis factor (TNF).

1. Inhibitory effect of Artemisia capillaris on ethanol-induced cytokines (TNF-alpha, IL-1alpha) secretion in Hep G2 cells.

A human hepatoma cell line, Hep G2 cell, is reliable for the study of alcohol-induced hepatotoxicity. In this study, we investigated the effect of an aqueous extract of Artemisia capillaris Thunb (Compositae) plant (AC) on ethanol (EtOH)-induced cytotoxicity in Hep G2 cells. AC (0.5-5 microg/mL) inhibited the secretion of EtOH-induced interluekin-1alpha (IL-1alpha) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). AC also inhibited the EtOH-, IL-1alpha-, and TNF-alpha-induced cytotoxicity. Furthermore, we found that AC inhibited the EtOH-induced apoptosis of Hep G2 cells. These results suggest that AC may prevent the EtOH-induced cytotoxicity through inhibition of the apoptosis of Hep G2 cells.

--Koo HN, Hong SH, Jeong HJ, Lee EH, Kim NG, Choi SD, Ra KW, Kim KS, Kang BK, Kim JJ, Oh JG, Kim HM. Immunopharmacol Immunotoxicol. 2002 Aug;24(3):441-53.

2. Apoptosis in human hepatoma cell line SMMC-7721 induced by water-soluble macromolecular components of Artemisia capillaris Thunberg.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of water-soluble macromolecular components of Artemisia capillaris Thunberg (ACT) on human hepatoma cell line SMMC-7721 (SMMC-7721). The morphological changes of SMMC-7721 were observed under a light microscope and an electron microscope. Inhibition of proliferation was measured with a colorimetric MTT assay. It was discovered that ACT extract-treated cells exhibit morphological changes typical of apoptosis, including condensed chromatin and a reduction in volume. ACT extract at 25-200 microg/ml dose-dependently inhibited the proliferation of SMMC-7721. The 50% effective dose, evaluated on day 3 of exposure to the extract, was 64.52+/-3.53 microg/ml. Upon gel electrophoresis, the fragmented DNA showed a characteristic ladder pattern. Cell cycle analyses revealed that ACT induced cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase.

--Hu YQ, Tan RX, Chu MY, Zhou J. Jpn J Cancer Res. 2000 Jan;91(1):113-7.

yin chen could increase WBC count and T cell's immune activity, take part in the immune regulation and induce the generation of interferon so as to increase the immune function.

yin chen had anti-febrile, analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. Its decoction and volatile oil also had diuretic effect.

yin chen 30~45g, water decoction, tid was used to treat 32 cases of acute infectious hepatitis with jaundice, and all were cured after 3~15 days treatment.

yin chen 15g as tea, 1 month as a course of treatment. 82 cases were observed, and the cholesterol level was lowed by 42.4mg averagely.

yin chen decoction and ethanol infusion were used to prevent and treat influenza. In 44,000 people used yin chen preparations as preventative, no case of influenza was reported.

Yin Chen Tang, Da Xian Xiong Tang and Da Chai Hu Tang were modified into Pai Shi Tang No. 1~6 which were used to treat bile tract infections and cholelithiasis. 598 cases were treated, and 86.5% wre effective.

25 cases of hemolytic jaundice (induced by horsebean) were treated with Yin Chen Hua Huang Tang (yin chen, yan hou cao 20g each; sheng di 15g, gou ji 9g,), 1 dose daily. All were cured after 2~4 days.

Except those noted, all references come from Weng Weiliang, et al., Clinical Chinese materia medica, Henan Science & Technology Press, 1998