2 Reflections and Prospects

2 Reflections and Prospects

Pei’s Soft Liver and Anti-Bloating Pills combine tonifying the root and consolidating the foundation, promoting qi circulation and activating blood to remove stasis, softening the liver and dispersing nodules, and clearing heat and detoxifying—all in one formulation, with a focus on tonifying the root and consolidating the foundation as a purely herbal preparation. Since Professor Pei Zhengxue first formulated this prescription, it has been widely used in clinical practice for more than forty years. Practice has shown that Pei’s Soft Liver and Anti-Bloating Pills are not only highly effective against primary liver cancer but also remarkably effective against esophageal and gastric cancers, especially in cases of immunosuppression caused by radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Recent animal experiments have preliminarily confirmed that their effects align with the clinical outcomes achieved in practice.

This study was inspired by Professor Pei Zhengxue’s more than forty years of clinical experience, fully embodying the idea that clinical experience guides experimental research and avoiding blind experimentation. In future research, we will make full use of new advances in modern science and technology to delve deeper into the material basis and related mechanisms by which Pei’s Soft Liver and Anti-Bloating Pills regulate immune function, and explore Professor Pei’s ideas and methods of integrating traditional Chinese medicine with Western medicine in the prevention and treatment of tumors, so that his clinical prescriptions can be further elucidated at a microscopic level.

References

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[26] Liu Xiaolan, Chen Jiaxu, Liu Yan et al. Study on the induction of HL60 cell apoptosis by demethyldemethyldemethyldemethyldemethyldemethyldemethyldemethyldemethyldemethyldemethyldemethyldemethyldemethyldemethyldemethyldemethyldemethyldemethyldemethyldemethyldemethyldemethyldemethyldemethyldemethyldemethyldemethyldemethyldemethyldemethyldemethyldemethyldemethyldemethyldemethyldemethyldemethyldemethyldemethyldemethyldemethyldemethyldemethyldemethyldemethyldemethyldemethyldemethyldemethyldemethyldemeth......Cantharidin—pungent in taste, warm in nature, and enters the Liver, Kidney, and Stomach meridians. It has the effects of breaking blood stasis, eliminating tumors, attacking toxins, and dispersing nodules. Its active ingredient is cantharidin, which can inhibit the growth of tumor cells and induce apoptosis [26]. Experiments have shown that it first inhibits protein synthesis in cancer cells, then affects the biosynthesis of RNA and DNA, ultimately preventing cancer cell growth and division. The main component of Compound Cantharidin Capsules is cantharidin. Studies have demonstrated that these capsules block the M phase of the cancer cell division cycle, disrupt the cytoskeleton and ultrastructure of cancer cells, and increase the rate of respiratory inhibition and lysosomal enzyme activity in cancer cells [27]. Zhang Jianwu [28] et al. suggested that Compound Cantharidin Injection exhibits good in vivo anti-tumor effects against H₂₂ tumors in mice, attributing this effect to the direct action of cantharidin, the active ingredient in the injection.

The Compound Cantharidin Capsules used in this experiment share considerable similarities with Pei’s Soft Liver and Anti-Bloating Pill in terms of efficacy and modern pharmacological research; therefore, they were selected as the positive control drug.

4.5 Modern Research on Single Herbs in Pei’s Soft Liver and Anti-Bloating Pill

To explore the mechanisms by which traditional Chinese medicine treats primary liver cancer, scholars both domestically and internationally have conducted extensive experimental studies. Professor Pei Zhengxue’s prescription for treating liver cancer—the Pei’s Soft Liver and Anti-Bloating Pill—has been studied experimentally, revealing that its potential anti-cancer mechanisms may involve directly killing and inhibiting liver cancer cells, as well as protecting and regulating the body’s immune function. Specifically:

• Scutellaria barbata: pungent and bitter, cold in nature. Enters the Lung, Liver, and Kidney meridians. Functions and indications include clearing heat and detoxifying, resolving blood stasis, and promoting diuresis. Zhang Nina et al. [29] found that Scutellaria barbata can effectively inhibit tumor angiogenesis, possibly through blocking endothelial cell migration and downregulating VEGF protein expression.

• Astragalus: has the effects of tonifying qi, strengthening defensive qi, and supporting sores. Modern pharmacological research shows that Astragalus can enhance stress resistance in mice, boost immune function, and accelerate the repair of bodies damaged by radiation. Its constituents, including astragalosides, polysaccharides, and trace elements, can increase lymphocyte proliferation in tumor-bearing mice and enhance NK cell activity, thereby regulating immune function and achieving an anti-tumor effect [30]. According to “Zhenzhuang,” Astragalus can tonify deficiency and replenish vital energy.

• Hedyotis diffusa: has the effect of clearing heat and detoxifying; modern research confirms its ability to kill liver cancer cells and significantly strengthen the body’s immunity.

• Sargassum: salty and cold, entering the Liver and Kidney meridians, with the effects of eliminating phlegm and softening hard masses. As recorded in “Compendium of Materia Medica”: “Sargassum is salty, which moistens downward, and cold, which clears heat and draws out water; thus it can eliminate goiters, nodules, and stubborn ulcers.” Its sargassum polysaccharides can indirectly inhibit or kill tumor cells by enhancing the body’s immunity [32].

• Laminaria japonica: salty and cold, entering the Liver and Kidney meridians, with the effects of eliminating phlegm and softening hard masses. Modern research shows that laminaria polysaccharides and nucleic acids, as well as kelp polysaccharides, can activate macrophages, thereby inhibiting tumor cell proliferation and killing tumors [33].

• Bupleurum: enters the Liver and Gallbladder meridians, and its extracts have a significant inhibitory effect on tumors [34–35]. Modern research indicates that Bupleurum has good effects in protecting the liver from damage, promoting bile flow, and lowering transaminase levels.

• White Peony Root: bitter, sour, sweet, and slightly cold in nature, entering the Liver and Spleen meridians. It nourishes blood, regulates menstruation, calms the Liver, relieves pain, and astringes yin to stop sweating.

In summary, Pei’s Soft Liver and Anti-Bloating Pill is a proven prescription for treating primary liver cancer. While some of the herbs in the formula do possess anti-cancer properties, the pill as a whole is an organic therapeutic entity. Its effectiveness in treating liver cancer does not stem solely from the anti-cancer effects of a few individual herbs, but rather from its holistic approach to regulation, which enhances the body’s own immune function. As Professor Pei himself stated: “Primary liver cancer is fundamentally a condition of deficiency with superficial excess; although the tumor manifests locally, it is actually a localized manifestation of a systemic disease—a condition of overall deficiency with local excess.” Therefore, in treatment, he advocates reinforcing the body’s vital energy to dissipate accumulation, and dissipating accumulation to consolidate the root. Anti-cancer drugs only address the symptoms, while reinforcing the body’s vital energy and consolidating the root constitute the core of this proven prescription.

Research on Pei Zhengxue’s Series of Formulas

Conclusion