title: The effects of wine-processing on ascending and descending: The distribution of flavonoids in rat tissues after oral administration of crude and wine-processed Radix scutellariae.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ascending and descending theory is a core principle of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theories. It plays an essential role in TCM clinical applications. Some TCM medicine has specific properties, which could alter the inclination and direction of their actions. The properties of the ascending and floating process of one herbal medicine are affected by means of herb processing. Wine-processing, which is sautéing with rice wine, is one of the most popular technologies of herb processing. Wine-processing increases the inclination and direction of its actions, thereby producing or strengthening their efficacy in cleaning the upper-energizer heat. Radix scutellariae, the dried roots of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, is a well-known TCM used for the treatment of inflammation, pyrexia, jaundice, etc. Recently, wine-processed Radix scutellariae was normally applied in clinical studies for the treatment of upper-energizer syndrome. In order to investigate the effects of wine-processing on ascending and descending of Radix scutellariae, the comparative study of distribution of flavonoids in rat tissues of triple energizers (SanJiao-upper, middle, lower jiao) after oral administration of crude and wine-processed Radix scutellariae aqueous extracts was carried out.
  
  
  METHODS
  The rats were randomly assigned to two groups and orally administered with crude and wine-processed Radix scutellariae aqueous extracts, respectively. At different pre-determined time points after administration, the concentrations of compounds in rat tissue homogenate were determined, and the main tissue pharmacokinetic parameters were investigated. Tissue pharmacokinetic parameters including AUC0-t, t1/2, Tmax and Cmax were calculated using DAS 2.0. An unpaired Student t-test was used to compare the differences in tissue pharmacokinetic parameters between the two groups. All the results were expressed as arithmetic mean±S.D.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The parameters of Cmax and AUC0-t of some flavonoids in wine-processed Radix scutellariae were remarkably increased (p<0.05, p<0.01, p<0.001) in the rat upper-energizer tissues (lung and heart) compared with those of the crude group. However, in the rat middle- and lower-energizer tissues (spleen, liver and kidney), the Cmax and AUC0-t of some flavonoids were significantly decreased (p<0.05, p<0.01) compared with the crude group. The main explanation for these differences seems to the effects of wine-processing on ascending and descending theory.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  All of these differences in the distribution of triple energizers after oral administration of crude and wine-processed Radix scutellariae aqueous extracts may lead to the increase of efficacy on the upper-energizer tissues and were in compliance with the ascending and descending theory. Therefore, wine-processing was recommended when Radix scutellariae was used for cleaning the upper-energizer heat and humidity. The obtained knowledge can be used to evaluate the impact of these differences on the efficacy of both the drugs in clinical applications and might be helpful in explaining the effects of wine-processing on ascending and descending theory.
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine , Nanjing 210023 , PR China; Jiangsu Provincial TCM Engineering Technology Research Center of High Efficient Drug Delivery System (DDS), Nanjing 210023, PR China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Processing, Nanjing 210023, PR China.
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: The Second Hospital of Nanjing, 1-1 Zhongfu Road, Nanjing 210003, PR China.
authors.forename: Shanzhong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine , Nanjing 210023 , PR China; Jiangsu Provincial TCM Engineering Technology Research Center of High Efficient Drug Delivery System (DDS), Nanjing 210023, PR China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Processing, Nanjing 210023, PR China.
authors.forename: Yong-xin
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine , Nanjing 210023 , PR China; Jiangsu Provincial TCM Engineering Technology Research Center of High Efficient Drug Delivery System (DDS), Nanjing 210023, PR China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Processing, Nanjing 210023, PR China. Electronic address: lijunsong1964@163.com.
authors.forename: Jun-song
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine , Nanjing 210023 , PR China.
authors.forename: Chuan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chai
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine , Nanjing 210023 , PR China; Jiangsu Provincial TCM Engineering Technology Research Center of High Efficient Drug Delivery System (DDS), Nanjing 210023, PR China.
authors.forename: Jin-ji
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine , Nanjing 210023 , PR China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Processing, Nanjing 210023, PR China.
authors.forename: Bao-chang
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Cai
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D019540:Area Under Curve; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D006207:Half-Life; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D012275:Oryza / Q000737:chemistry; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D031364:Scutellaria baicalensis / Q000737:chemistry*; D013997:Time Factors; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014920:Wine
chemical_list: D005419:Flavonoids
keywords: Apigenin (Pubchem CID: 5280443); Ascending and descending; Baicalein (Pubchem CID: 5281605); Baicalin (Pubchem CID: 64982); Chrysin (Pubchem CID: 5281607); Flavonoids; LC–MS/MS; Oroxylin A (Pubchem CID: 5320315); Oroxylin A-7-O-glucuronide (Pubchem CID: 44567248); Radix scutellariae; Scutellarein (Pubchem CID: 5281697); Scutellarin (Pubchem CID: 185617); Tissue distribution; Wine-processing; Wogonin (Pubchem CID: 5281703); Wogonoside (Pubchem CID: 29927693)