Guan Mu Tong, a Chinese herb. It is the dried stem of the plant Aristolochia manshuriensis of the family Aristolochiaceae. It is harvested in autumn and winter, the rough bark is removed, and then it is dried. It is used to clear heart fire, promote urination, and regulate menstruation and lactation.
[Habitat Distribution of Guan Mu Tong]
Ecological environment: Guan Mu Tong grows in moist forests or forest edges.
Distribution: Guan Mu Tong is distributed in Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Shanxi, Gansu, Shaanxi, Sichuan, and other places.
[Pharmacological Effects of Guan Mu Tong]
① Cardiovascular effects:
Guan Mu Tong extract was reported to have a similar effect to digitalis on the hearts of isolated frogs and guinea pigs.
However, subsequent studies have shown that its effect on the heart is due to the calcium and tannic acid it contains, and Guan Mu Tong itself does not have the same cardiac glycoside effect as digitalis.
Intravenous injection of the extract at a dose of 0.5-2 grams per kilogram in anesthetized rabbits and dogs can immediately raise blood pressure, then decrease it, and show a longer duration of secondary hypotension. Some rabbits do not experience an increase in blood pressure, only a decrease.
② Other effects:
The extract has an excitatory effect on the intestines of isolated mice, but an inhibitory effect on the uterus of non-pregnant and pregnant mice.
Intravenous injection of the extract in anesthetized dogs and rabbits results in a short-term decrease in urine volume, but no diuretic effect is observed. However, when taken orally by normal individuals, urine volume increases, but chloride excretion is lower than in the control group.
In addition, the following are the effects of aristolochic acid extracted from the plant Asarum sieboldii:
① Antitumor effects:
Repeated intraperitoneal injection can inhibit the growth of ascites hepatoma in rats, but it is ineffective against mouse sarcoma-180, rat sarcoma-45, sarcoma-M-1, and rat cancer-RS-1. It also has some inhibitory effect on the growth of mouse sarcoma-37 and sarcoma-AK.
② General effects:
When 0.1-1% aristolochic acid is dropped into the rabbit conjunctival sac or injected subcutaneously, it does not cause irritation.
Intravenous injection of 1-10 milligrams per kilogram in anesthetized cats can raise blood pressure without changing heart rate; 40 milligrams per kilogram can cause cat death, with the heart stopping first and then the respiration stopping.
It has a certain vasoconstrictive effect on the blood vessels of the detached rabbit ear and kidney, and an excitatory effect on the intestines of the detached rabbit and the uterus of the in situ cat. Intravenous or intraperitoneal injection of 30-50 milligrams per kilogram in mice can lower rectal temperature by 2-2.5℃, which lasts for 24 hours.
