General

Scientific Names: Mylabris cichorii (Linnaeus)

Common Names: Huang Hei Xiao Ban Mao, Huang Ban Yuan Qing.

BOTANICAL:

来 源： 为芫青科(Meloidae)昆虫黄黑小斑蟊 Mylabris cichorii L． 的干燥成虫。

动物形状 ： 成虫体长约10—15mm，黑色，被以黑色长毛。头具刻点，复眼肾形，触角11节，末端数节膨大，基部数节较小。前胸长稍大于阔，前端狭于后端；前胸背板 中央有纵沟一条，后缘上方反转，其近前有横凹陷。稍翅有黄色横带，上肩部近缝合线基部左右各生一斑纹，中央稍前方与稍后方有等大横带，此带之前后缘呈波 状，翅鞘黑色部点刻甚密，黄色部点刻甚粗。体腹部及足具黑色长绒毛。

生药材鉴定： 干燥虫体呈长圆形，小斑蟊长10－15毫米，宽5－7毫米。头略呈三角形。黑色，有1对较大的复眼及1对触角，触角多已脱落。背部革质鞘　翅上有3对淡棕色横带纹。胸 腹部呈环节状，有黑色绒毛。气特异，昧初辛后苦。以个大，有黄色花斑、色鲜明，完整不碎者为佳。

Pharmacology

化学成分: 黄黑小斑蟊（台湾产者）含斑蟊素0．79％，但亦有达1．3；％者。此外，一般斑蟊属含斑蟊素1－1．5％。

Efficacy

Mylabris is the dried body of the Chinese blister beetle. The species used in medicine are Mylabris phalerata and M. cichorii. The use of mylabris as a traditional medicine in China can be traced back more than 2000 years, and it is still used as a folk medicine today. In recent studies, it has been found that mylabris possesses antitumor properties, increases the number of leucocytes, and has irritant effects on the urinary organs. The active constituent of mylabris is cantharidin. The synthesis of cantharidin is rather difficult. In order to find a less toxic analogue of cantharidin, its hydrolytic compound, disodium cantharidate, and its demethylated form, norcantharidin, were prepared. By biochemical and biological methods, it was found that these compounds may affect cancer cells in several ways. In clinical studies, antihepatoma effectiveness sequentially increased from cantharidin to disodium cantharidate to norcantharidin. Disodium cantharidate showed less urinary irritation than cantharidin while norcantharidin showed little to no such irritation. It appears that the two methyl groups of cantharidin are not the main functional groups for antitumor activity and for the stimulation of bone marrow but are associated with urinary irritation. Hydrocantharidimide, methylcantharidimide and dehydronorcantharidin have also been studied. All these compounds, except the last one, have been produced as antitumor agents in China. Since demethylated cantharidin may be prepared by total synthesis, it may be more suitable for medical investigation than cantharidin itself. (source)

对多种实验动物移植肿瘤有一定程度的抑制作用，尤其当腹水 型肿瘤接种的细胞数目较少时，可见小鼠生存期延长。实验证明斑蟊素对小鼠腹水肝癌有抑制作用，对网状细胞肉瘤L2也有效。其作用原理可能是抑制癌细胞的蛋 白质和核酸的合成，口服或腹腔注射都容易吸收，在血中维持的浓度也较持久，在肠、胃、胆、肝和瘤组织中的含量较高。中、小剂量对机体免疫功能不抑制，但较 大剂量可使免疫能力下降。

　　 临床用于原发肝癌有一定的疗效，主观症状改善，生存时间延长，部发病例可见肿块缩小。对乳腺癌、食道癌、肺癌等亦有一定效果。 (source)

IN VITRO:

1. Wang GS. Medical uses of mylabris in ancient China and recent studies. J Ethnopharmacol. 1989 Sep; 26(2):147-62. Review.
   
   
   
   
   

Safety

宜忌: 对泌尿系统和胃肠系统的刺激，如尿频、尿急、血尿和恶心。个别人面部麻木，心跳增快等神经、心血管系统反应。对骨髓无抑制作用。服药期间多饮水可减轻副作用。心肾功能不全、严重消化道溃疡、有出血倾向者及孕妇慎用。