title: Influence of the mixture of Epimedii Herba and Ginkgo Folium extracts on the coronary flow of isolated hearts in rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In clinical practice, Epimedii Herba and Ginkgo Folium preparations are widely used in treatment of diseases such as coronary heart disease (angina) in China. However, there are no studies on the two-drug combination.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To explore the effect of the mixture of the Epimedii Herba extract (EE) and Ginkgo Folium extract (GE) on coronary flow of isolated hearts in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  EE and GE were prepared by reflux in alcohol, and processed with HPD-100 macro-reticular resins; icariin from EE and total bilobalides from GE were determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Fifty male Sprague-Dawley (SD) mice were subdivided into five groups (10 rats each): Normal control group (NC), EE - 10 mg group, GE - 10 mg group, EE - 5 mg + GE - 5 mg group, and EE - 10 mg + GE - 10 mg group. Isolated hearts uniform pressure perfusion was proceeded with Langendorff system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The content of icariin in EE was 20.8%. The total content including four kinds of bilobalides (ginkolide A-C and bilobalide) in GE was 8.6%. The coronary flow in the NC group remained stable before and after treatment, and the coronoray flow in the EE, GE, EE + GE groups was increased and the relative magnitude of heightening was 25.0-33.3%, and the coronary flow in EE + GE was significantly different from that in the single EE or GE group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EE or GE itself can heighten coronary flow of isolated hearts in rats. The activity of the mixture including EE and GE is better than that of single EE or GE, and the activity becomes larger when the dosage is doubled, and is related with dosage.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmaceutical Science, China Medical University, China.
authors.forename: Dongfang
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Changji
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Lihong
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
keywords: Bilobalide; Coronary flow; icariin; macro-reticular resins; traditional Chinese medicine