ze xie had significant diuretic effect and could lower the blood pressure. ze xie collected in winter had the strongest effect.

Extracts of ze xie had significant effects of lowering cholesterol and anti-atherosclerosis in rabbits with experimental hypercholesterolemia. Alisol A and the acetic ester of alisol A, B and C all had effect of lowering cholesterol, and the effect of alisol A-24-acetic ester was the strongest. ze xie could also lower triglyceride at the same time of lowering serum cholesterol, and increase the content of high density lipoprotein as well as the rate of HDL-cholesterol/Total cholesterol.

Subcutaneous injection of extractum of ze xie to rabbits could slightly lower blood sugar. But there're also reports showed that subcutaneous injection of ze xie decoction couldn't lower blood sugar. That may be due to different preparation or different dosage.

Water extract and benzene extract of ze xie had anti-fatty liver effect. They could lower the content of fat in the liver of rabbits fed with cholesterol and high fat food.

Intravenous injection of extractum of ze xie to dogs and rabbits showed that it had effect of lowering blood pressure. In vitro, it had slow relaxing effect on the adnephrin-induced contraction of isolated aorta stripe of rabbits. Water-soluble ingredients of ethanol extract of ze xie could significant dilate coronary artery.

ze xie could antagonize acetylcholine-induced convulsion of isolated intestine muscles. ze xie could inhibit the growth of tubercle bacillus.

Ze Xie Tablet (each tablet was equivalent to 2.5~2.8g crude drug), 3~4 tablets every time, 3~4 times every day, 1~3 months as a course of treatment. 281 cases of hyperlipoidemia were treated. Results: Individuals with markedly lowering of blood cholesterol and triglyceride made up to 89.6% and 74.7% respectively.

A basic formula consisting of ze xie, fu ling, zhu ling, bai zhu and bai mao gen was used to treat 38 cases of acute nephritis. Results: 30 cases were cured, 2 markedly effective. Edema in all cases disappeared within 1~13 days; while it took 15~30 days till the urine analysis turned negative.

Hydronephrosis was treated with a basic formula consisting of ze xie, fu ling, zhu ling, e jiao, mua shi, xu duan, niu xi, jin qian cao and che qian zi, etc.. With severe pain in the waist, add yuan hu, with qi deficiency, ad dang shen and huang qi; with turbid urine but without difficult or painful urination, remove jin qian cao and add chuan bi xie. 30 cases were treated, 25 were cured, and 4 effective.

The first affiliated hospital of Zhejiang medical university used Qing Sheng No. 1 (huang qi, fang ji, ze xie, bai zhu, chuan xiong, zhi shou wu, sheng shan zha, dan shen, yin chen, sheng da huang, shui niu jiao and xian ling pi) to treat 50 cases of obesity, and 48 cases were effective. This formula could regulate metabolism and lower blood fat.

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