Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Modulation of dragon’s blood on tetrodotoxin-resistant sodium currents in dorsal root ganglion neurons and identification of its material basis for efficacy

  • Published:
Science in China Series C Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

To clarify the modulation of dragon’s blood on the tetrodotoxin-resistant (TTX-R) sodium currents in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons and explore its corresponding material basis for the efficacy, using whole-cell patch clamp technique, the effects of dragon’s blood and the combined effects of three components (cochinchinenin A, cochinchinenin B, and loureirin B) extracted from dragon’s blood on the TTX-R sodium currents in acute-isolated DRG neurons of rats were observed. According to the operational definition of material basis for the efficacy of TCM established, the material basis of the modulation on the TTX-R sodium currents in DRG neurons of dragon’s blood was judged from the experimental results. The drug interaction equation of Greco et al. was used to assess the interaction of the three components extracted from dragon’s blood. This investigation demonstrated that dragon’s blood suppressed the peak TTX-R sodium currents in a dose-dependent way and affected the activations of TTX-R sodium currents. The effects of the combination of cochinchinenin A, cochinchinenin B, and loureirin B were in good agreement with those of dragon’s blood. Although the three components used alone could modulate TTX-R sodium currents, the concentrations of the three components used alone were respectively higher than those used in combination when the inhibition rates on the TTX-R sodium currents of them used alone and in combination were the same. The combined effects of the three components were synergistic. These results suggested that the interference with pain messages caused by the modulation of dragon’s blood on TTX-R sodium currents in DRG neurons may explain some of the analgesic effect of dragon’s blood and the corresponding material basis for the efficacy is the combination of cochinchinenin A, cochinchinenin B, and loureirin B.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Chen T, Liao T A. Observation for the curative effects of dragon’s blood capsule for stopping bleeding and relieving pain after exodontia. Hainan Med J (in Chinese), 2002, 13(10): 48

    Google Scholar 

  2. Xiang J L, Zhang L H, Chen R. Studies on anti-inflammation and analgesic effects of dragon’s blood. Lishizhen Med Mater Med Res (in Chinese), 2001, 12(2): 110–111

    Google Scholar 

  3. Liu X M, Chen S, Yin S J, Mei Z N. Effects of dragon’s blood and its component loureirin B on tetrodotoxin-sensitive voltage-gated sodium currents in rat dorsal root ganglion neurons. Sci China Ser C-Life Sci, 2004, 47(4): 340–348

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Gold M S, Reichling D B, Shuster M J, Levine J D. Hyperalgesic agents increase a tetrodotoxin-resistant Na+ current in nociceptors. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 1996, 93: 1108–1112

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Lai J, Gold M S, Kim C S, Bian D, Ossipov MH, Hunter JC, Porreca F. Inhibition of neuropathic pain by decreased expression of the tetrodotoxin-resistant sodium channel, NaV1.8. Pain, 2002, 95: 143–152

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Wen D X. Advances in studies on dragon’s blood. Zhong Cao Yao (in Chinese), 2001, 32(11): 1053–1054

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Gao Y, Lü X J, Liu Y X, Chen P, Tan H L. Research on material basis for the efficacy of Traditional Chinese Medicine compounds. Chin New Drugs J (in Chinese), 2000, 9(5): 307–308

    Google Scholar 

  8. Huang H S, Ma C G, Chen Z W. Advances in studies on pharmacological effect of flavonoids. Chin J Chin Mater Med (in Chinese), 25(10): 589–592

  9. Meksuriyen D, Cordell G A. Retrodihydrochalcones from Dracaena loureiri. J Nat Prod, 1988, 51(6): 1129–1135

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Lu W J, Wang X F, Chen J Y, Lü Y, Wu L, Kang W J, Zheng Q T. Studies on chemical constituents distilled from Dracaena cochinchinensis with chloroform. Yao Xue Xue Bao (in Chinese), 1998, 33(10): 755–758

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Tate S, Benn S, Hick C, Trezise D, John V, Mannion RJ, Costigan M, Plumpton C, Grose D, Gladwell Z, Kendall G, Dale K, Bountra C, Woolf C J. Two sodium channels contribute to the TTX-R sodium current in primary sensory neurons. Nat Neurosc, 1998, 1(8): 1653–1655

    Google Scholar 

  12. Greco W R, Park H S, Rustum Y M. Application of a new approach for the quantitation of drug synergism to the combination of cis-diamminedichloroplatinum and 1-β-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine. Cancer Res, 1990, 50(17): 5318–5327

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Snyder S, Argenio D Z D, Weislow O, Bilello J A, Drusano G L. The triple combination indinavir-zidovudine-lamivudine is highly synergistic. Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 2000, 44(4): 1051–1058

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Song J H, Huang C S, Nagata K, Yeh J Z, Narahashi T. Differential action of riluzole on tetrodotoxin-sensitive and tetrodotoxin-resistant sodium channels. Pharmacology, 1997, 282(2): 707–714

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Waxman S G. The molecular pathophysiology of pain: Abnormal expression of sodium channel genes and its contributions to hyperexcitability of primary sensory neurons. Pain, 1999, 6: 133–140

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Gold M S. Tetrodotoxin-resistant Na+ currents and inflammatory hyperalgesia. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 1999, 96: 7645–7649

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological & Medical Engineering, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan, 430074, China

    Liu Xiangming, Chen Su, Zhang Yuxia & Zhang Fan

Authors
  1. Liu Xiangming
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Chen Su
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Zhang Yuxia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Zhang Fan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Liu Xiangming.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Liu, X., Chen, S., Zhang, Y. et al. Modulation of dragon’s blood on tetrodotoxin-resistant sodium currents in dorsal root ganglion neurons and identification of its material basis for efficacy. SCI CHINA SER C 49, 274–285 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11427-006-0274-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11427-006-0274-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation