Background::
Spleen deficiency-water dampness symptom is closely related to body
fluid-mediated organism metabolism and circulation. However, previous clinical evaluation of
spleen deficiency-water dampness model was based only on body weight, D-xylose excretion
rate, serum gastrin content, etc. Therefore, we established a large sample of normal rats and
model rats experiment to verify the scientific nature of bio-impedance measuring body fluid
indexes for evaluation of the modeling state. Pharmacodynamics research on Danggui-Shaoyao-
San (DSS) was conducted through body fluid index changes of rats using bio-impedance technology.
Methods::
A spleen deficiency-water dampness symptom rat model was established through an
inappropriate diet combined with excess fatigue. Experimental rats were divided into a normal
control group, a model control group, a positive drug control group (hydrochlorothiazide), a
blood-activating group, a water-disinhibiting group, and a DSS group. Total Body Water/Body
Weight (TBW%), extracellular fluid/total body water content (ECF%), intracellular fluid/total
body water content (ICF%), extracellular fluid/intracellular fluid (ECF/ICF), fat mass/body
weight (FM%), fat-free mass/body weight (FFM%), and fat mass/fat-free mass (FM/FFM) of
150 rats were detected by a Bio-Imp Vet Body analyzer.
Results::
The TBW% of the model control group increased significantly, and the FM/FFM was
significantly reduced compared with the normal group (P < 0.05) (P < 0.01), showing symptoms
of spleen deficiency and diarrhea; the TBW% of the blood-activating group, and the waterdisinhibiting
group decreased significantly, and the FM/FFM increased significantly (P < 0.05)
(P < 0.01). The TBW% and FM/FFM in the water-disinhibiting group had returned to nearnormal
values compared with the model control group. The blood-activating and waterdisinhibiting
split prescriptions in DSS are both effective in treating spleen deficiency-water
dampness rats. Comparatively, the fluid-regulating effect of split prescriptions in DSS was
even stronger than that of DSS as shown in the present study.
Conclusions::
These findings suggest that using bio-impedance technology to measure body fluid
indexes can pave a road for further exploring the molecular mechanism of the reason why the
blood-activating and disinhibit-water split prescriptions in DSS are both effective in treating
spleen deficiency-water dampness rats.