Objective - to compare the regulating effects of TCM qi invigorating and qi regulating drugs on the energy charge of the
skeletal muscle cells in rat's thigh (SMCRT) both in vivo and in vitro, and to observe the effects of the
polysaccharides extracted from qi invigorating drugs on the energy charge of SMCRT in vitro. Method - HPLC was used to determine the contents of ATP, ADP and AMP in SMCRT, and the value of the energy charge was calculated according to a routine formula. In the experiment, the qi invigorating drugs included ginseng, astragalus root, pilose asiabell root, and white atractylodes rhizome; and the qi regulating drugs were immature bitter orange, magnolia bark, green tangerine, and lindera root. Results - Both in vivo and in vitro tests showed that the qi invigorating drugs could increase the value of the energy charge while qi regulating drugs acted on the contrary. The polysaccharides showed no effect of increasing the value of the energy charge, but a tendency to decrease the value in a dose effect manner. Conclusion - qi invigorating and qi regulating drugs acted differently on the energy charge of SMCRT, and it could not be proved that the polysaccharides are the material basis of the qi invigorating drugs in their energy charge increasing action.