ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of homeopathic and countercurrent administration of Heishun Tablets-Radix rhei et rhizome couplet medicines on physical indices in healthy rats according to yin-yang drug properties of Traditional Chinese Medicine. MethodsA total of 48 SD rats with specific pathogen free were randomly assigned to homeopathic feeding group, countercurrent feeding group, mixed feeding group, or control group, with 12 rats in each group and half male and hale female. The homeopathic feeding group received intragastric administration of Dahuang Chinese Medicine Formula Granule Solution in the morning, and Heishun Tablet Chinese Medicine Formula Granule Solution in the afternoon. The countercurrent feeding group received inverse administration sequence compared with the homeopathic feeding group. The mixed feeding group received intragastric administration of mixed solution of Heishun Tablet Chinese Medicine Formula Granule and Dahuang Chinese Medicine Formula Granule, and the administration was twice in the morning and evening. The control group received intragastric administration of ultrapure water with equivalent volume in the morning and evening. The 4 groups received administration for 5 days every week, and 6 weeks of administration in total. The skin and hair, behavioral state, degree of excitement, irritation reaction, sleep state, and stool state were observed on the first, 10th, 20th, 30th, and 45th day of feeding (observation for three more days after 6 weeks of drug administration), respectively. The feed intake and body weight of rats were measured on Monday, Wednesday and Friday of the second, 4th and 6th week after feeding, and on the 45th day of feeding, the blood routine and blood biochemical indices of rats were detected, and the organ coefficient was calculated. ResultsDuring experiment, there were no significant changes in the skin and hair, behavioral state, excitement degree, irritation reaction, sleep state, and stool state of rats in various groups. There was no statistically significant difference in average daily feed intake of rats in the four groups at various stages; furthermore, there was no statistically significant difference in body weight of rats in the four groups at the second and fourth weeks of feeding (P＞0.05). After 6 weeks of feeding, body weight of female rats in the homeopathic feeding group and the mixed feeding group was lower than that in the countercurrent feeding group, whereas in the male rats, body weight of the mixed, homeopathic and countercurrent feeding groups was higher than that of the control group (P＜0.05). On the 45th day of feeding, no statistically significant difference in the organ coefficients of heart, liver, lung, kidney, and stomach, and white blood cell counts, neutrophil counts, lymphocyte counts, red blood cell counts, as well as levels of hemoglobin, alkaline phosphatase, triglyceride, urea, fasting blood glucose, albumin, and AST was found between female and male rats of the 4 groups (P＞0.05). Female rats in the countercurrent feeding group exhibited a higher organ coefficient of spleen as compared with the control group; in addition, the counts of monocytes and eosinophils of female rats in the homeopathic and mixed feeding groups was higher than that in the control group, eosinophils counts of male rats in the homeopathic and mixed feeding groups were lower than those in the control group, and serum total cholesterol level of male rats in the mixed feeding group was higher than that in the control group (P＜0.05). ConclusionCountercurrent administration can cause spleen congestion, while mixed administration can cause serum total cholesterol level elevation in rats, and both may affect body weight of rats, which has disadvantages to a certain extent; howevei, homeopathic administration can increase immune system activity of rats.

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