Effect of 'bakumondo-to', a Chinese-Japanese herbal medicine, on cultured and dispersed salivary gland cells.
'Bakumondo-to', a Chinese-Japanese herbal medicine, has been used for patients with xerostomia in Japan. Although the efficacy of this medicine for xerostomia has been reported, the pharmacological basis was only partially understood. The aim of this study was to clarify the direct effect of Bakumondo-to on salivary gland cells using isolated and cultured cells. In the physiological experiment using the fluorescent dye fura-2, Bakumondo-to showed no direct effect on isolated parotid gland cells. On the other hand, Bakumondo-to, when applied to cultured salivary gland cells, showed enhancement effects on cell proliferation. After inspection by transmission electron microscopy, we concluded that Bakumondo-to did not show an increase in the number of secretion granules but did increase the mean size of secretion granules in parotid gland cells. These mechanisms, together with other in vivo effecters, may contribute to clinical efficacy.
Kagami
H
H
Department of Oral Surgery, Nagoya University School of Medicine, Japan.
Horie
K
K
Nishiguchi
H
H
Shigetomi
T
T
Ueda
M
M
D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine / Q000737:chemistry; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002469:Cell Separation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003594:Cytoplasmic Granules / Q000378:metabolism*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016257:Fura-2 / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D010306:Parotid Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014987:Xerostomia / Q000188:drug therapy*
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine; D002118:Calcium; D016257:Fura-2