title: Diuretic and anti-diuretic activities of the ethanol and aqueous extracts of Alismatis rhizoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Alismatis rhizoma or Alisma orientale (Zexie in Chinese), the dried rhizome of Alisma orientale Juzepzuk (Alismataceae), is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine and is used as an agent for diuresis and for excreting dampness in Asia and Europe. In this paper, we report the diuretic activities of the ethanol extract (EE) and the aqueous extract (AE) of A. rhizoma (AR).
  
  
  METHODS
  The EE and AE were orally administered to rats. The urinary excretion rate and pH, and electrolyte excretion were measured in the urine of saline-loaded rats.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that EE could increase the urine output at 2.5, 5 and 10mg/kg doses but decrease the urine output at 20, 40 and 80mg/kg doses compared with the control group. The 5 and 10mg/kg doses of EE increased the urine electrolyte excretion, but the effects on Na(+)/K(+) values were too weak to reach statistical significance. The Na(+) excretion and Cl(-) excretion were markedly decreased with the 20, 40 and 80mg/kg doses of EE, but the effect on K(+) excretion was notably slight. All of the tested doses of AE produced an increase in urinary excretion, but the increase did not reach statistical significance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study identified that EE but not AE presents a notable diuretic effect, and EE had diuretic and anti-diuretic effects, which appears to be related to the sodium-chloride co-transporter in the renal distal convoluting tubule. This study demonstrated for the first time that the EE of AR has a dual effect on renal function, including promotion of diuretic activity at lower doses and inhibiting diuretic activity at higher doses, and the AR dose should be given more attention in clinical applications. This study will play a critical and guiding role in the dosing of AR as a diuretic drug in clinical applications.
authors.affiliation: The Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, the College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, No. 229 Taibai North Road,Xi'an, Shaanxi 710069, PR China.
authors.forename: Ya-Long
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: The Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, the College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, No. 229 Taibai North Road,Xi'an, Shaanxi 710069, PR China.
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: The Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, the College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, No. 229 Taibai North Road,Xi'an, Shaanxi 710069, PR China.
authors.forename: Ting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.affiliation: The Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, the College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, No. 229 Taibai North Road,Xi'an, Shaanxi 710069, PR China.
authors.forename: Dan-Qian
authors.initials: DQ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: The Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, the College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, No. 229 Taibai North Road,Xi'an, Shaanxi 710069, PR China. Electronic address: zyy@nwu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Ying-Yong
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, No. 11 North Third Ring Road, Beijing 100029, PR China. Electronic address: linrch307@sina.com.
authors.forename: Rui-Chao
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D034901:Alismataceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D000818:Animals; D050034:Antidiuretic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002713:Chlorine / Q000652:urine; D004232:Diuretics / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004573:Electrolytes / Q000652:urine; D020834:Ethnopharmacology; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D011188:Potassium / Q000652:urine; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D027343:Rhizome / Q000737:chemistry; D012964:Sodium / Q000652:urine; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D050034:Antidiuretic Agents; D004232:Diuretics; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D004573:Electrolytes; D002713:Chlorine; D012964:Sodium; D011188:Potassium
keywords: Alisma orientale Juzepzuk; Alismatis rhizoma; Anti-diuretic activity; Diuretic activity; Electrolyte excretion