The Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Yang-Chin-Warn, a Traditional Chinese Herbal Preparation

Yang-Chin-Warn (YCW), or latent-heat-clearing pill, is a traditional Chinese herbal preparation to remove pathogenic ”heat” and ”wetness” for the treatment of jaundice, edema, and chronic pain. Toxicity study in mice showed that YCW at the maximal tested dosage (25 gm/kg, p.o.) exhibited no acute toxicity. Subacute pretreatment with recommended daily dosage of YCW (2.5gm/kg, p.o. daily for 15 days) caused no significant changes in the general behavior, body weight, organ weight, and water content of lung, heart, kidney, or liver in mice. Thus, it indicates that YCW is a preparation with abroad safety margin. In vitro, YCW (3.7-11.8 mg/ml) had no protective effects on carbon tetrachloride-induced release of GPT or GOT in suspended rat liver cells. The anti-inflammatory effect of YCW was evaluated with carrageenin-and Freund's complete adjuvant-induced edematous responses of hind-paw in rats. It was found that single dose (2.5 gm/kg, p.o.) of YCW had no significant anti-inflammatory effect, but consecutive pretreatment with the same dose for three days significantly inhibited the carrageenin-induced acute inflammation and Freund's complete adjuvant-induced subacute inflammation in rats. These results indicates that YCW has anti-inflammatory activities with low toxicities.