Shi Quan Da Bu Tang

Shi Quan Da Bu Tang (All-Inclusive Great Tonifying Decoction), from the Tai Ping Hui Min He Ji Ju Fang (Imperial Grace Formulary of the Tai Ping Era) by Imperial Medical Department.

Actions: Warms and tonifies qi and blood.

Presentation: 1. Qi and blood deficiencies with yang deficiency and cold: lassitude, low appetite, a pale face, palpitations, insomnia, dizziness, intolerance to cold, and seminal emissions. 2. General deficiency: deficient cough, poor appetite, a sallow appearance, weakness of legs and knees, chronic ulcers or slow wound healing, seminal emissions in men and beng lou in women.

Composition: Source text uses equal amounts of all ingredients; only bracketed modern doses are printed.

Cautions:

• Warm formula; contraindicated with heat or excess conditions

Toxicology: Oral LD50 of the extract was 15 g/kg in mice (extract from 1.5g Gan Cao and 3.0g of each other herb in 285 mL water for 1 hour, yielding 2.3g); very little toxicity.

Herb–drug interactions:

• Chemotherapy/radiation toxicity: protective with mitomycin, cisplatin, carboplatin, cyclophosphamide, 5-FU; 50 patients on chemotherapy tolerated treatment well; 30 women with uterine/ovarian cancer had more energy and appetite; reversed MMC/Ara-C/MTX marrow suppression; protected blood counts during radiation; 88% effective against EAP-induced nausea when started 1 week before
• Potentiates mitomycin, cisplatin, cyclophosphamide and fluorouracil while countering GI upset, hepatotoxicity, immunosuppression, cytopenias and nephropathy
• Chemo/radiation-induced neutropenia: 134 patients, 84.32% effective
• Cyclophosphamide/prednisolone immunosuppression: with Ren Shen Yang Ying Tang prolonged survival of candida-infected mice
• Carboplatin or cisplatin myelosuppression prevented in mice without reducing antitumor activity
• Cisplatin nephro-, hepato-, GI and immune toxicity reduced in mice without reducing antitumor effect
• CDDP nephrotoxicity and marrow toxicity reduced, partly via Dang Gui constituent sodium L-malate
• Interferon-alpha: combination augmented antimetastatic effect on murine renal carcinoma lung metastasis without weight loss
• Rifampin-induced neutropenia reversed within 7 days in 11 patients (modified formula)
• Levofloxacin: no significant pharmacokinetic interaction in 8 healthy volunteers

Pharmacological effects reported:

• Immunostimulant: increases number and/or activity of NK cells
• Hematopoietic: raised hemoglobin and red cells in mice with hemorrhagic anemia over 10 days; more effective than Si Wu Tang or Si Jun Zi Tang, attributed to CSF activity
• Antineoplastic: inhibited cancer growth, prolonged survival and reduced chemotherapy side effects in mice
• Antitumor and antimetastatic: via phagocytosis, cytokine induction, antibody production and splenic mitogenic activity; dose-dependent inhibition of liver metastasis with improved survival
• Anticancer: suppressed E2-induced c-fos/jun and endometrial carcinogenesis in mice; suppressed melanocytic tumors via T-cell cytotoxicity
• Antitumor effect partly attributed to its Si Wu Tang constituents
• Antiaging: prolonged life expectancy in mice
• Bone density: prevented ovariectomy-induced osteoporosis in mice (19 weeks) and rats (49 days) comparably to estradiol

Source: Chen JK, Chen TT. Chinese Herbal Formulas and Applications: Pharmacological Effects & Clinical Research. Art of Medicine Press, 2009, p. 609.

Source: coarse powder of equal amounts; cook 6g with 3 slices Sheng Jiang and 2 Da Zao in 1 large bowl of water down to 70%; take warm any time. Today: decoction at bracketed doses.