OBJECTIVETo investigate the intervention effect of Wujia Bugu Recipe (WBR, consisting of Radix Rehmanniae Praeparata, Radix Achyranthis bidentate, Radix Astragali, Radix Angelicae sinensis, acetolytic substance of Concha Ostreae) on the intestinal absorption of exogenous calcium in rats under simulated Weightlessness manner.

METHODSTwenty-one male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 3 groups, the blank group, the model group, and the tested group treated with WBR via gastric perfusion. Simulated weightlessness manner was formed by tail suspending after rats' entry into an one-week adaptation stage. And a definite dose of 41Ca tracer was given to each rat by gastric administration on the 11th day of the weightless stage. Their 72 h feces were collected for measuring ratio of 41Ca/40Ca by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS), the total calcium in feces was determined by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES), the 41Ca feces content (FC) and intestinal absorption amount (AA), and then the calcium intestinal absorption ratio (AR) were analyzed and calculated.

RESULTS41Ca/40Ca ratio and 41Ca FC were higher, 41Ca AA and AR were lower in the model group than those in the blank group, the differences between groups were significant (P <0.01); while in the tested group, the differences of all above-mentioned indices with those in the blank group were insignificant, although the 41Ca/40Ca ratio showed somewhat increased, yet the increment was less than that in the model group (P <0.05).

CONCLUSIONSimulated weightlessness could lead to decrease of intestinal calcium absorption, which could be improved to some extent by Chinese herbal medicine.