Influence of Spleen Meridian Herbs on the Harmonic Spectrum of the Arterial Pulse

Pulse analysis is a powerful method in Chinese medicine. We suggest that the effect of herbal medicine is to redistribute the blood to organs and meridians. In this report, by injecting extracts into rats and then analyzing the blood pressure wave measured at the caudate arteries, we studied eight important spleen meridian related herbs: They were Semen Lablab, Fructus Amoni Globosi, Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae, Rhizoma Atractylodis, Tuber Pinelliae, Radix Codonopsitis, Pericarpium Aurantii and Rhizoma Polygonati. All eight herbs increased the intensity of the 3rd harmonic (C3) of the pressure pulse which is correlated to the spleen and spleen meridian, as described in traditional Chinese medical literature. All of them also increased the 2nd harmonic (which is correlated to the kidney and the kidney meridian) as well as decreased the heart load (DC term of pressure wave, C0). Tuber Pinelliae, Radix Codonopsitis, Pericarpium Aurantii and Rhizoma Polygonati decreased the 1st harmonic (correlated to the liver meridian) significantly, while Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae only decreased C1 slightly. Except for Semen Lablab, all the others decreased the intensity of the 5th (stomach meridian) and the 7th harmonics. The effects of kidney herbs: Cortex Eucommiae and Radix Achyranthis were also shown for comparison.