Study on Cardiac Action of Chinese Aconite

In Chinese medicine, Fu-Tze (附子), the daughter root of Chinese aconite, has been used as a circulatory stimulant for thousands of years. As a rule, the drug prescribed has previously been subjected to various treatments, which is known as Fu-Pi (附片) in Chinese drug store. Recently several authors claimed that galenic preparat of aconite has a cardiotonic effect. We have repeated experiments and partly confirmed some of their results and shown that the decoction of Fu-Pi has a cardiotonic effect not only on the Straub's toad and frog heart but also on the isolated heart of rabbit, guinea pig and rat. A slight cardiotonic effect has also been observed on cat's and dog's heart in situ by decoction of Fu-Pi, but not by decoction of aconite. On the frog heart in situ, a characterized glycoside effect has never been observed by this drug injected in lymph sac. Chemical analysis also showed that it contained no glycoside, but a larger quantity of calcium ion (especially in the decoctum of Fu-Pi), tannic acid and some potassium ion. When calcium ion had been excluded by several methods (ion exchange, sedimentation with ammonium oxalate and chelation with EDTA), the decoction loses its cardiotonic effect at once. Simple solution of calcium ion in the concentration lower than those contained in decoction of aconite has also a similar cardiotonic effect. It is therefore concluded that the so-called cardiotonic effect of the decoction of aconite is closely related to the calcium it contains. The effect of total alkaloid of aconite on isolated heart is similar to those of aconitine. No significant cardiotonic effect has been observed by any product of hydrolysation of total alkaloid.