title: The herbal medicine unkei-to stimulates cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant production in the pituitary folliculo-stellate-like cell line (TtT/GF).
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Kanazawa University, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Koike
authors.forename: Z X
authors.initials: ZX
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jikihara
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Masuhara
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miyake
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Inoue
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: 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