Summary of Modern Studies on Qige Congming (Clear Eye & Sharp Ear™) Capsule

Chinese Use: Hydrops labyrinthi, cervical spondylopathy, cerebral arteriosclerosis, secretory otitis media, streptomycin reaction, stiff neck, achromatopsia.

Modern studies on pharmacodynamics show that this product yields actions of increasing cerebral blood flow, improving memory, elevating the excitation of cerebral cortex and lowering blood lipid.

1. Increasing cerebral blood flow: the rheoencephalogram (frontal lead) of 18 healthy person shows that, when Yiqi Congming Decoction is given, the amplitude of the graph increases markedly after the administration. The inflow and speed are also increasing 2 hours after the experiment, the above 2 indices begin to change, especially conspicuous after 5 hours, reaching its peak at 5 1/2 hrs, demonstrating that this product markedly increases blood flowing and its speed.

2. Effect on memory of the elderly with cerebral arteriosclerosis: there is a tendency of increasing orientation memory, associated learning, liberal remembering of diagram, meaningless diagram recognition memory.

3. Elevation of excitation of cerebral cortex: 1) Lowering of the threshold of after-discharge of the cerebral cortex: The after discharge threshold of motor area rabbit cerebral cortex is markedly lowered after administration of this product, indicating that it excites the cortex in conscious animal. 2) Elevating the content of monoamine transmitter in the brain of reserpinized mice: this product markedly increases the contents of noradrenalin in the hypothalamus mice, but shows no difference in its 5-hydroxy tryptamine content. 3) Increasing activities of Na⁺, K⁺-APT enzyme, Mg⁺⁺-ATP enzyme and ATP enzyme in chondriosome in brain tissue: the Radix Codonopsis pilosulae, Radix Astragali seu Hedysari, and Radix Glycyrrhiza with invigorating qi medicines, when administered orally, can effectively check the marked decrease of activity of Na⁺, K⁺-ATP enzyme and Mg⁺⁺-ATP enzyme in the brain stem of reserpinized mice. In addition, the Radix Puerariae, Rhizoma Cimicifugae, and Fructus Viticis in the recipe also have some checking action on the activities of Na+, K+-ATP enzyme, indicating that this product, through the elevation of Na+, K+-ATP enzyme activity, can maintain the reabsorption of noradrenalin at pre-synaptic membrane, thus antagonize the consumption of neurotransmitter in reserpinized mice: 4) Increase the contents of plasma and brain CA: this product markedly increases the cAMP contents in the brain and plasma in reserpinized mice, but the medicines with ascending nature reveal no such action. It has been proved that noradrenalin, dopa-amine and 5-hydroxy-tryptamine transmitters all increase the CA contents which regulate the synthesize enzyme of neuro-transmitter and eventually affect the formation of such transmitter. It is held that the increase of CA content improves the synthesis of monoamine transmitter.

4. Effect on fat metabolism in hypolipidemic atherosclerotic rabbit and its hemorrheology: By experiment, it is observed that this modified product can markedly decrease the total serum cholesterol, triglycerine, content of LPO in brain and heart tissue, increase the HDL in serum and SOD content in these tissues, lessen the formation of plague. It is found that this modified product markedly checks the aggregation of platelet in the rabbit, delays the thrombus formation in vitro, improves blood viscosity.

5. Lowering of blood lipid: this product lowers the blood lipid, increases hematocrit, accelerates RBC electrophoresis.

Clinically, this product was applied in Mèniere’s syndrome, cervical spondylitis, cerebral arteriosclerosis, secretory otitis media, reaction to streptomycin, stiff neck, and color blindness.

1. Mèniere’s syndrome: 100 cases were treated with 71 cases cured; 19, ameliorated; 10, non-effective, the total effective rate being over 90%.

2. Cervical spondylosis: 40 cases were treated, 5 cases (12.5%) were cured; 28 (70%), markedly effective; 5 (12.5%), ameliorated; 2(5%), non-effective.

3. Cerebral arteriosclerosis: 20 cases were treated, 1 dose daily for over 5 doses, with 30 doses at most, the total effective rate being 90%.

4. Reaction to streptomycin: 19 cases were treated, 10 cases markedly effective (streptomycin not interrupted, symptoms all vanished); 6 cases, effective (symptoms ameliorated, streptomycin applied continuously)

5. Tinnitus: 50 cases were treated: 1 dose of the product revealed 6 cases cured; 2~3 doses, 31 cases were cured; 4~5 doses, 9 cases cured, 2 cases ameliorated, 2 cases non-effective, total effective rate being 96%.

6. Stiff neck: over 20 cases were treated. Generally, 1 dose is enough, 3 dosages at most.

Excerpt from A Guide to TCM Products, China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2003

This statement has not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any diseases.