The herbal medicine unkei-to stimulates cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant production in the pituitary folliculo-stellate-like cell line (TtT/GF).
OBJECTIVE
We previously reported that a cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant (CINC) was produced in the pituitary gland and that it influenced anterior pituitary hormone release. In this study we investigated the effect of Unkei-to, a Japanese herbal medicine, on CINC production in the rat anterior pituitary gland and the pituitary folliculo-stellate-like cell line (TtT/GF).


METHODS
Dispersed normal anterior pituitary cells and the folliculo-stellate-like cell line TtT/GF were used to test the effect of Unkei-to on CINC secretion and CINC mRNA accumulation. Concentrations of CINC in the conditioned media were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and levels of CINC mRNA were analyzed by Northern blot analysis.


RESULTS
Unkei-to (20 micrograms/ml) significantly increased the secretion of CINC by normal anterior pituitary cells within 12 hr of incubation. Unkei-to also stimulated CINC secretion from TtT/GF cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Unkei-to (20 micrograms/ml) increased CINC mRNA accumulation in TtT/GF cells within 3 hr of incubation and also caused a 13-fold increase in the secretion of CINC from TtT/GF cells compared with the vehicle group within 24 hr of incubation. Finally, we found that some of the Unkei-to's ingredients, Evodiae fructus and Pinelliae tuber, markedly stimulated CINC secretion from TtT/GF cells.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results will help to elucidate the mechanism behind the clinical effect of Unkei-to on the anterior pituitary gland. They also suggested the presence of special substances, which stimulate CINC secretion, within Unkei-to's ingredients such as E. fructus and P. tuber.
Koike
K
K
Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Kanazawa University, Japan.
Zhang
Z X
ZX
Sakamoto
Y
Y
Jikihara
H
H
Masuhara
K
K
Murakami
K
K
Miyake
A
A
Inoue
M
M
D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D019743:Chemokines, CXC; D002630:Chemotactic Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004357:Drug Synergism; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008518:Medicine, East Asian Traditional; D010903:Pituitary Gland, Anterior / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D019743:Chemokines, CXC; D002630:Chemotactic Factors; D016207:Cytokines; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D006133:Growth Substances; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C058415:unkei-to