Evaluation of Analgesic and Anti-inflammatory Activities of Compound Herbs Puxing Yinyang San

Background: Bovine mastitis is one of the most relevant and problematic diseases to treat and control in practice. Puxing Yinyang San (PYS) is a compound of herbs to treat bovine mastitis in China. This study was performed to evaluate the analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities of PYS in mice and rats. Materials and Methods: The analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities of PYS were determined using acetic acid-induced writhing response, hot plate test, xylene-induced ear swelling test, carrageenan-induced paw edema test, and acetic acid-induced capillary permeability and leukocyte infiltration test with oral doses of 155, 310 and 620 mg/kg·bw in mice or rats. Results: The acetic acid-induced writhing response was dose-dependently inhibited by oral administration of PYS and the latency time to thermal stimuli was increased in the hot plate test, especially 90 minutes after treatment. In the xylene-induced ear swelling, PYS significantly decreased swelling degree in a dose-dependent manner. Additionally, PYS significantly suppressed the peritoneal capillary permeability and leukocyte infiltration in mice induced by intraperitoneal injection of acetic acid. PYS also significantly reduced the carrageenan-induced rat paw edema at 2, 3, and 4 h after the carrageenan injection. The results suggested that PYS possessed significant analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities. Conclusion: This study was the first to demonstrate that oral administration of PYS might play an important role in the process of analgesia and anti-inflammation, supporting its treatment for mastitis. Future investigations will focus on the broader involvement of the ingredients and mechanisms responsible for pharmacological activities of PYS.