Objective: To compare the efficacy of Wushe Qufeng decoction and its derivative prescriptions in chronic eczema of guinea pigs. Method: Eight guinea pigs (4 female and 4 male) were randomly selected from 58 healthy guinea pigs as the normal group. The remaining 50 guinea pigs were used to make the chronic eczema models by irritating the skins of their shaved backs with low-dose 2

4-dinitrochlorobenzene as the antigen for repeated stimulation. 48 successfully modeled ones were randomly divide into 6 groups:No.1 prescription group (Wushe Qufeng decoction

8.05 g·kg-1)

No.2 prescription group(7.22 g·kg-1)

No.3 prescription group(11.75 g·kg-1)

No.4 prescription group(12.86 g·kg-1)

hydrocortisone butyrate cream group (0.5 g·kg-1)

and model group. The guinea pigs in these groups were given orally for 7 days. 24 h after the last administering

all experiment animals were sacrificed

and the efficacy was assessed according to the symptom scores in local skin lesions and pathological changes of the skin lesions. Result: Symptom score:compared with normal group

the pathological symptom scores in model group were significantly higher (P<0.05). Compared with model group

the pathological symptom scores in No.1 prescription group

No.2 prescription group

No.3 prescription group

No.4 prescription group and hydrocortisone butyrate cream group were significantly reduced (P<0.05). The pathological changes in skin lesions were significantly improved in Wushe Qufeng decoction group and hydrocortisone butyrate cream group

similar to those in drug control group. No obvious difference was found between the groups of the derivative prescriptions of the Wushe Qufeng decoction and the model group. Conclusion: The efficacy of the Wushe Qufeng decoction in the chronic eczema of guinea pigs is better than that of its derivative prescriptions

equaling to that of the drug control group.