3.2 Effects of Pei’s Soft Liver and Anti-Ascites Pill on Tumor Weight and Tumor Inhibition Rate in Tumor-Bearing Mice

3.2 Effects of Pei’s Soft Liver and Anti-Ascites Pill on Tumor Weight and Tumor Inhibition Rate in Tumor-Bearing Mice

Research on Pei Zhengxue’s Series of Formulas and Medications

Dissection of the treated mice reveals that the tumor grows more slowly than in the model control group. The average tumor weights in the large-, medium-, and small-dose groups of Pei’s Soft Liver and Anti-Ascites Pill are all lower than those in the model group, at (0.926±0.237) g, (0.776±0.122) g, and (0.935±0.227) g, respectively, all showing statistically significant differences compared with the model control group (P<0.05). The tumor inhibition rates are 24.5%, 36.8%, and 23.9%, respectively. There is also a statistically significant difference between the PRGXP medium-dose group and the BM group (P<0.05). (See Table 1, Figures 1 and 2)

Table 1: Effects of Pei’s Soft Liver and Anti-Ascites Pill on Tumor Weight in Tumor-Bearing Mice (x±s)

Note: *P<0.05, compared with the Model Control Group

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3.3 Effects of Pei’s Soft Liver and Anti-Bloating Pill on Immune Organs—Thymus and Spleen—in Tumor-Bearing Mice

The results of the effects of Pei’s Soft Liver and Anti-Bloating Pill on tumor-bearing mice show that in the Model Control Group, the thymus and spleen of the mice exhibited reduced volume and weight; some thymuses had unclear lobes and appeared grayish-white, while the spleens turned pale red. In all PRGXP dosage groups, the thymus index (TI) of the mice was higher than that of the model group, with the medium- and high-dose groups showing TI values of (53.2±15.6) mg/10g and (47.7±23.3) mg/10g, respectively—increases of 31.4% and 17.8% compared with the Model Control Group, both statistically significant (P<0.05). Compared with the blank control group, the TI of the Model Control Group mice decreased (P<0.05). In all PRGXP dosage groups, the spleen index (SI) of the mice was also higher than that of the Model Control Group, with the medium-dose group showing an SI of (65.0±10.1) mg/10g—an increase of 45.1% compared with the Model Control Group, which was statistically significant (P<0.05). Compared with the blank control group, the SI of the Model Control Group mice decreased (P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between the PRGXP dosage groups and the BM group (P>0.05). (See Table 2, Figures 3 and 4)

Table 2: Effects of Pei’s Soft Liver and Anti-Bloating Pill on Thymus Index and Spleen Index in Tumor-Bearing Mice (x±s)

Note: *P<0.05, compared with the Model Control Group; ▲P<0.05, compared with the Blank Control Group

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3.4 Effects of Pei’s Soft Liver and Anti-Bloating Pill on Serum TNF-α Concentration in Tumor-Bearing Mice

The results show that in all PRGXP dosage groups, the serum TNF-α concentration was higher than that of the Model Control Group, with the medium-dose group having a concentration of (85.97±19.41) pg·ml⁻¹, which was statistically significant compared with the Model Control Group (P<0.05). The BM group had a serum TNF-α concentration of (51.34±9.78) pg·ml⁻¹, also statistically significant compared with the Model Control Group (P<0.05). There was a statistically significant difference between the PRGXP medium-dose group and the BM group (P<0.05). The serum TNF-α concentration in the Model Control Group mice was lower than that of the blank control group, but this difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05). (See Table 3 and Figure 5)

Table 3: Effects of Pei’s Soft Liver and Anti-Bloating Pill on Serum TNF-α Concentration in Tumor-Bearing Mice (x±s; n=8)

Note: *P<0.05, compared with the Model Control Group; #P<0.05, compared with the BM Control Group

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3.5 Effects of Pei’s Soft Liver and Anti-Bloating Pill on Serum IFN-γ Concentration in Tumor-Bearing Mice

The results show that in the high- and medium-dose groups of Pei’s Soft Liver and Anti-Bloating Pill, the serum IFN-γ concentration was higher than that of the Model Control Group, with the medium-dose group having a concentration of (90.85±11.91) pg·ml⁻¹, which was statistically significant compared with the Model Control Group (P<0.05). The BM group had a serum IFN-γ concentration of (66.73±11.76) pg·ml⁻¹, also statistically significant compared with the Model Control Group (P<0.05). There was a statistically significant difference between the PRGXP medium-dose group and the BM group (P<0.05). The serum IFN-γ concentration in the Model Control Group mice was lower than that of the blank control group, but this difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05). (See Table 4 and Figure 6)

Table 4: Effects of Pei’s Soft Liver and Anti-Bloating Pill on Serum IFN-γ Concentration in Tumor-Bearing Mice (x±s; n=8)

Note: *P<0.05, compared with the Model Control Group; #P<0.05, compared with the BM Control Group

Research on Pei Zhengxue’s Series of Formulas and Medicines

Figure 6: Effects of Pei’s Soft Liver and Anti-Bloating Pill on IFN-γ in Tumor-Bearing Mice (x̄±s; n=8)

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4 Discussion

Pei’s Soft Liver and Anti-Bloating Pill (composed of Bupleurum, raw turtle shell, pangolin scales, soapberry spines, Citrus aurantium, Hedyotis diffusa, Scutellaria barbata, Sparganium stoloniferum, Curcuma wenyujin, Paeonia lactiflora, seaweed, kelp, Salvia miltiorrhiza, Astragalus membranaceus, etc.) is a purely traditional Chinese medicine preparation formulated by Professor Pei Zhengxue, drawing on his more than forty years of clinical experience. Based on the principle of “strengthening the body’s vital energy to eliminate accumulation, and eliminating accumulation to consolidate the root,” it has the effects of strengthening the body’s vital energy and consolidating the root, promoting qi circulation and activating blood to remove stasis, softening the liver and dispersing nodules, as well as clearing heat and detoxifying. This formula was developed through continuous clinical practice, refinement, and reorganization based on the specialized prescription for treating liver cancer—the “Liver Cancer Formula”—ultimately resulting in a pure traditional Chinese medicine preparation. Among its ingredients, Paeonia lactiflora can astringe yin, soften the liver, and nourish the blood; Salvia miltiorrhiza, Astragalus membranaceus, turtle shell, and tortoise plastron together enhance qi-tonifying, blood-nourishing, and yin-tonifying effects. As stated in “Essential Readings on Medical Principles”: “Accumulation forms when vital energy is insufficient, allowing pathogenic factors to take hold”; and in “Orthodox Surgery”: “Accumulation arises from deficiency of vital energy; only when vital energy is weak does accumulation form.” Therefore, strengthening the body’s vital energy eliminates accumulation, and eliminating accumulation consolidates the root. Bupleurum can soothe the liver and dispel depression, invigorate yang energy, and expel pathogenic factors; Citrus aurantium can regulate qi and relieve depression, clear heat, and break up stagnation; Sparganium stoloniferum and Curcuma wenyujin both promote qi circulation, eliminate accumulation, remove blood stasis, and relieve pain, collectively achieving the effect of promoting qi circulation, activating blood, and removing stasis. Turtle shell, pangolin scales, soapberry spines, seaweed, and kelp all have the effect of softening hard masses, removing blood stasis, and dispersing nodules. Hedyotis diffusa and Scutellaria barbata are both clearing heat and detoxifying herbs; modern pharmacological research shows that the active ingredient ursolic acid in Hedyotis diffusa has anti-mutation, anti-cancer-promoting, antioxidant, anti-angiogenesis, and cancer cell differentiation-inducing activities, thus exhibiting anti-tumor effects. Overall, the entire formula combines the effects of strengthening the body’s vital energy and consolidating the root, promoting qi circulation and activating blood to remove stasis, softening the liver and dispersing nodules, and clearing heat and detoxifying. Professor Pei believes that the essence of this formula in treating liver cancer lies in simultaneously strengthening the body’s vital energy and consolidating the root, while eliminating accumulation and expelling pathogenic factors. While tonifying vital energy and consolidating the root, it also strengthens the functions of promoting qi circulation, activating blood, removing stasis, softening the liver, and dispersing nodules, as well as clearing heat and detoxifying. The direct result is enhanced regulation of the body’s autonomic nervous system, metabolic system, endocrine system, and immune system. This is also consistent with Professor Pei’s academic view: primary liver cancer is a condition of underlying deficiency and superficial excess, meaning that although the tumor manifests locally, it is actually a local manifestation of a systemic disease—a condition of overall deficiency with localized excess. Therefore, in treatment, Professor Pei proposes: strengthen the body’s vital energy to eliminate accumulation, and eliminate accumulation to consolidate the root. As Zhang Yuan said: “If vital energy is strengthened, accumulation will naturally be eliminated, just like if everyone in a room were virtuous, even if there were one bad person, they would eventually leave on their own. Now, if true qi is strong… accumulation will naturally disappear.” In summary, Pei’s Soft Liver and Anti-Bloating Pill takes strengthening the body’s vital energy and consolidating the root as its main principle, while also addressing the elimination of accumulation and expulsion of pathogenic factors, thereby strengthening the body’s own vital energy, enhancing immunity, fully mobilizing the immune system, and ultimately achieving the effect of “when vital energy is strong within, pathogenic factors cannot invade,” effectively treating primary liver cancer.

This experiment further explores the anti-tumor mechanism of Pei’s Soft Liver and Anti-Bloating Pill by measuring macroscopic indicators such as tumor weight, thymus, and spleen in each group of mice, as well as observing microscopic indicators such as serum TNF-α and IFN-γ.