The current research on the mechanism of action of leeches is still relatively limited and superficial, and different leeches contain different ingredients and have different mechanisms of action, which makes the research on their mechanism of action more complicated. Below are the effects and side effects of leeches that I recommend to you for your reference.

Effects of leeches

First, leeches have anti-early pregnancy effect. It has the effect of terminating pregnancy in all stages of pregnancy, including early, middle and late pregnancy, but it is the best for early pregnancy; if exogenous progesterone and leeches are injected at the same time, then this can counteract the anti-early pregnancy effect of leeches.

Second, leeches can also improve microcirculation, such as the absorption of hematomas in acute cerebral hemorrhage, reduce the inflammatory reaction and edema around the brain tissue, relieve the increase in intracranial pressure, improve local circulation, and benefit neurological function. recovery; it also promotes the absorption of local experimental hematoma in the ear.

.Third, leeches can significantly reduce cholesterol and triglycerides in experimental hyperlipidemia. Leeches also have an inhibitory effect on tumor cells and have a certain inhibitory effect on the growth of liver cancer. Because leeches have a high anticoagulant effect, they are beneficial for anti-cancer drugs and immune-active cells to penetrate into cancer tissue and kill cancer cells. Side effects of leeches

Traditional literature

"Compendium of Materia Medica": non-toxic.

Leech is non-toxic, has mild medicinal properties, has strong ability to remove blood stasis and has little harm to the body. There is no discomfort when taken as a decoction in water within the normal dosage. It has been reported that taking a large dose of leeches (30g) decoction in water has no obvious side effects.

The decoction tastes bad and is difficult to take, and you will feel nauseated and want to vomit when you smell it. If used improperly in patients without blood stasis, it may cause allergic reactions such as rash and itching. For people with severe digestive system diseases, it may cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea and other side effects. For patients with anemia, it can cause prolongation of coagulation time and difficulty in stopping bleeding. The role of leeches in traditional Chinese medicine research

Pharmacological research results show that leeches have anticoagulant, fibrinolytic, lower specific viscosity, inhibit platelet aggregation, improve blood flow, lower blood lipids, antithrombotic, anti-inflammatory, etc. effect.

Leech water extraction, alcohol extraction, and decoction with alcohol precipitation significantly reduced the whole blood viscosity, RBC aggregation index, and reducing viscosity of normal rats (P lt; 0.05), and significantly affected the blood stasis model. The RBC volume, whole blood and plasma viscosity of rats were significantly reduced (P lt; 0.01). Intravenous administration of leech extract significantly increases normal and post-ischemic cerebral blood flow. There is a certain linear regression relationship between blood pressure and blood flow.

Put leeches and honey bugs (1:1) into capsules to treat ischemic stroke. Observe the patient’s cerebral blood flow status and brain cell and limb functions. The results show that it can increase cerebral blood flow and improve brain function. Hypoxic conditions, reduce blood viscosity and blood lipid levels, and inhibit thrombosis in vitro.

Leeches can inhibit the increase in blood lipids in rabbits fed a high-cholesterol diet; delay the formation of atherosclerotic plaques caused by hyperlipidemia and endothelial damage, and reduce the damage to arterial vessels caused by atherosclerotic plaques The cavity is narrow.

Someone observed the effect of hirudin on the proliferation of cultured rabbit thoracic aorta SMC (media smooth muscle cells) and concluded that hirudin inhibits the proliferation of cultured rabbit artery SMC and can prevent the proliferation of SMC. restenosis in a dose-dependent manner]. 10 Oral administration of leech powder suspension to mice with pathological blood stasis can significantly reduce the reduced viscosity of whole blood, plasma and whole blood. In rats, it can significantly inhibit platelet aggregation and thrombosis.

Judging from the effects of different doses and administration routes of leeches on acute and chronic inflammation models in mice and rats, leeches have a certain anti-inflammatory effect on acute and chronic inflammation, and oral administration of medium doses ( 2 g/kg) works best.

By measuring CIC (circulating immune complex) levels in clinical cases and mesangial proliferative nephritis rabbit models before and after leech-based treatment, it can be confirmed that leeches have a clearing effect on CIC in chronic nephritis. The pharmacological mechanism is that leeches have a strong anticoagulant effect.

The effect of leeches on eliminating subcutaneous and cerebral edema seems to be related to anti-inflammatory, swelling and reducing exudation. In the experimental research on anti-thromboangiitis obliterans, Mailuotong Chongji, which is composed of leech as the main drug, improves blood rheology, anti-thrombosis and thrombolysis, and reduces the proliferation of vascular endothelial cells and the inflammatory reaction of the blood vessel wall in various ways. To achieve therapeutic effect on thromboangitis.