General

Scientific Names: Pseudostellaria heterophylla (Miq.) Pax ex Hoffm.

Common Names: Yi Ye Jia Fan Lu, Tai Zi Shen, Hai Er Shen.

BOTANICAL:

来 源： 为石竹科植物 孩儿参 Pseudostellaria heterophylla （Miq.） Pax ex Pax et Hoffm.的干燥块根。

植物特征： 为多年生草本，株高15-20厘米。地下块根肉质、直生、呈纺锤形，上有疏生须根。茎单一，不分枝，下部带紫色，近方形；上部绿色，圆柱形，吴明显膨大的节，光滑无毛。单叶对生，茎下部的叶小，倒披针形，基那渐窄成柄，全缘；叶向上渐大，在茎顶的叶片最大，通常4叶轮生状，长卵形，基部狭窄成柄，边缘略呈波状。花腋生，白色，近地面1、2节处有单生闭锁花，形小，无花瓣；蒴果近球形。花期4-5月，果期5-6月。

生药材鉴定： 本品呈细长纺锤形或细长条形，平直或弯曲，长3-10厘米，直径2-6毫米。表面淡黄白色，半透明，微有纵皱纹，并且有若干横沟纹及须根断后的痕迹。根头钝园形，多有残留的茎基或茎痕。质地坚硬而脆，易折断。断面黄白色，角质样，有粉性。气微，味甘。以肥大、黄白色、无须根者为佳品。

Pharmacology

化学成分: 含甙果糖及淀粉。

Efficacy

We have previously shown that a mitogenic fraction (PH-I) separated from Pseudostellaria heterophylla exhibits both immunomodulatory and anti-tumor activities. In the present study, PH-I was further purified by gel filtration chromatography and the resulting three fractions (PH-I A, PH-I B and PH-I C) were assessed for their anti-tumor activity in vivo. It was found that fraction PH-I C from P. heterophylla could markedly suppress the growth of EAT cells in vivo. Mechanistic studies have shown that i.p. injection of PH-I C into mice could enhance the phagocytic activity of thioglycollate-elicited peritoneal macrophages. Moreover, PH-I C showed a potent activating effect on the cytotoxic activity of natural killer (NK) cells and alloreactive cytotoxic T cells (Tc) as well as increased the MurIL-2-induced lymphokine activated killer cell (LAK) activity in vitro. In addition, PH-I C could increase the number of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in the tumor site of WEHI-164-bearing mice. Finally, i.v. injection of PH-I C significantly elevated the levels of IFN-gamma and IL-4 in sera of EAT-bearing mice. (source)

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) could be induced in the serum of ICR mice bearing Ehrlich ascites tumor (EAT) cells by the i.v. administration of antitumor fractions (PH-I A, PH-I B, PH-I C, PH-I Ca, PH-I Cb) separated from the roots of Pseudostellaria heterophylla. TNF could also be detected in the ascitic fluid of EAT-bearing mice 2 h after i.v. injection with PH-I C, PH-I Ca or PH-I Cb. The proliferation of EAT cells was found to be significantly suppressed after the administration of these fractions. Our results suggest that the antitumor activity of P. heterophylla may be related, at least in part, to its capacity to induce TNF production in vivo. The strongest TNF eliciting and antitumor activity was found in the PH-I Cb fraction which is an acidic polysaccharide or proteoglycan with molecular weight of approximately 5000. (source)

IN VIVO:

1. Wong CK, et al., The immunostimulating activities of anti-tumor polysaccharides from Pseudostellaria heterophylla. Immunopharmacology. 1994 Jul-Aug; 28(1):47-54.
2. Wong CK, et al., Tumor necrosis factor eliciting fractions separated from Pseudostellaria heterophylla. Int J Immunopharmacol. 1994 Apr; 16(4):271-7.
3. Wong CK, et al., Mitogenic and tumor necrosis factor producing activities of Pseudostellaria heterophylla. Int J Immunopharmacol. 1992 Nov; 14(8):1315-20.
   
   
   
   
   

Safety

宜忌: 　表实邪盛者不宜用。