Zizyphi fructus, a constituent of antiasthmatic herbal medicine, stimulates airway epithelial ciliary motility through nitric oxide generation.
The effects of Zizyphi fructus, a major constituent of Chinese anti-asthmatic herbal medicine, on ciliary motility and nitric oxide (NO) generation in canine cultured tracheal epithelium were studied by the microphoto-oscillation method and the specific amperometric method, respectively. Addition of Zizyphi fructus at 100 micrograms/mL rapidly increased ciliary beat frequency (CBF), an effect that was inhibited by NG-nitro-L-arginine methylester (L-NAME) but not by NG-nitro-D-arginine methylester (D-NAME), and this inhibition was reversed by L-arginine but not by D-arginine. Immersion of the NO-selective electrode in the medium bathing tracheal epithelial cells showed a baseline current of 21.3-60.4 pA, which corresponded to NO concentration ([NO]) at 34.4 +/- 7.8 nM. Zizyphi fructus caused a concentration-dependent increase in [NO], the maximal increase from the baseline [NO] level and the concentration of Zizyphi fructus required to produce a half-maximal effect (EC50) being 107 +/- 14 nM (p < .001) and 7.2 +/- 2.9 micrograms/mL, respectively. These results suggest that Zizyphi fructus enhances airway ciliary motility and that this effect is exerted through the stimulation of epithelial NO generation.
Tamaoki
J
J
First Department of Medicine, Tokyo Women's Medical College, Japan.
Kondo
M
M
Tagaya
E
E
Takemura
K
K
Konno
K
K
D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002478:Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002923:Cilia / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D004285:Dogs; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D004848:Epithelium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008859:Microscopy, Polarization; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D010396:Penicillamine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D010507:Periodicity; D026423:S-Nitroso-N-Acetylpenicillamine; D014132:Trachea / Q000166:cytology* / Q000503:physiopathology
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D026423:S-Nitroso-N-Acetylpenicillamine; D010396:Penicillamine