Wen Chen Jun

Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University

The sketch actor Jia Bing joked in his works: "People in middle age have to soak wolfberry in a thermostat cup." After laughing, you will find that people around you begin to take care of themselves at a slightly older age, and TV and radio stations often broadcast various health programs, which are dazzling.

Traditional Chinese medicine advocates that the disease should be cured before it is cured, but it does not advocate that people buy the so-called nourishment products or even some traditional Chinese medicines on their own without the guidance of professionals. Everyone knows that drugs are three poisons. Although I am a young doctor, but in clinical work and life, I have seen many people because of the improper use of maintenance products and some Chinese medicines but sick.

Old Yao came to hospital with yellowing skin, yellowing urine, yellowing eyes, general fatigue and decreased appetite, which were typical manifestations of impaired liver function. Liver function tests showed that the values of transaminase and bilirubin were several times higher than the reference values. In addition to the above symptoms, abdominal distension, ascites, liver pain, liver and spleen enlargement are often seen in his cases. But he had no viral hepatitis, no autoimmune liver disease, no fatty liver, and no bad habits of drinking.

What is it that has impaired his liver so badly?

After careful inquiry, Lao Yao, because he heard that Panax Notoginseng can activate blood circulation and remove blood stasis, drinks with Panax Notoginseng powder every day for several years. Is it Panax notoginseng or Tusanqi? Panax notoginseng and Panax notoginseng are roots of plants. Their appearance is very similar. It is difficult for non-professionals to distinguish them. The family members of Lao Yao brought the medicines which had not been ground into powder to the doctor of traditional Chinese medicine for identification, which proved to be Tusanqi.

What's the difference between Panax notoginseng and Tusanqi?

Panax notoginseng, also known as Tianqi, is a plant of the family Araliaceae. It can disperse blood stasis, stop bleeding, relieve swelling and pain. Soil notoginseng, also known as chrysanthemum notoginseng, blood angelica, for the Compositae plant, treatment of injury, stasis, swelling and pain, carbuncle, swelling, breast carbuncle.

Why can Panax notoginseng cause liver damage, while Panax notoginseng cause liver damage is rarely reported?Originally, Pyrrolidine alkaloid, an alkaloid contained in Panax notoginseng, was making a mistake. The alkaloids are converted into toxic substances in the liver, resulting in swelling of the endothelium of hepatic lobular veins and hepatic sinusoids, repeated injury leading to fibrosis, resulting in lumen stenosis or even occlusion (hepatic venule match syndrome), and then hepatocyte atrophy and diffuse hepatic fibrosis. Although liver regeneration is good, mortality rate of acute drug-induced liver injury is low and prognosis is good, there are still cases of acute liver failure in a short period of time.

Long-term chronic hepatic sinus injury will eventually lead to cirrhosis and even liver cancer characterized by portal hypertension (gastrointestinal bleeding, splenomegaly, hypersplenism, ascites), decompensation of liver function.Because of the lack of effective treatment, liver transplantation is ultimately needed to save lives. According to statistics, there are 38 kinds of Chinese herbal medicines containing these alkaloids, which have been identified as having hepatotoxicity, such as self-extinction, agri-lily, four-edged pork dung bean grass, pots from Xinjiang, tail shake, earthy notoginseng, thousand-mile-light, thistle, single-leaf pelargonium, a little red, Wufengcao, Astragalus notoginseng, quinquefolia, aster, tulipa, dog snake grass, aster, etc.

Liver and kidney are the most important metabolic organs of the human body. Most drugs can be converted into more effective substances to act on diseases, or into more toxic substances, or into harmless substances to discharge from the human body.

Just now, I've introduced some Chinese herbal medicines with hepatotoxicity, and by the way, I'd like to introduce some Chinese herbal medicines with aristolochic acid as the primary carcinogen, including Aristolochia, Aristolochia, nanmuxiang, guannanxiang, tricone, cinnabarin, tianxianteng, qingmuxiang, guangfangji, tongchenghu, Hanzhong Fangji, TengXiang, huaitong, beihesheng, Guanmutong, xugufeng and fake cassava. Butterflies fading, white cinnabar, blood-pressing thunder, platinum olive, small South aroma, Asarum and so on.

It is hoped that people who are taking traditional Chinese medicine or various health care products will shine their eyes, preferably under the guidance of professionals. After all, there is only one liver and only one life. Don't let blind health preservation harm the rest of your life!