Effects of Kakkon-to and Sairei-to on experimental elevation of aqueous flare in pigmented rabbits.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the possible inhibitory effects of Kakkon-to and Sairei-to, traditional Sino-Japanese herbal medicines, on experimental aqueous flare elevation in pigmented rabbits.


METHODS
Anterior uveitis was induced either by an application of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), 10 microg/mL, to the cornea, or an intravenous injection of lipopolysaccharides (LPS), 0.5 microg/kg, in an ear vein. Dose dependency of experimental uveitis induced by LPS (0.1, 0.25, 0.5, or 1.0 microg/kg) was also determined. For pretreatment, about 150 g/day of food containing Kakkon-to (1% w/w) or Sairei-to (0.6% or 2% w/w) was given to two groups of animals for 5 days before experimental uveitis was induced. A third group of animals underwent pretreatment with betamethasone, 130 microg/kg, injection into an ear vein 4 hours before experimental uveitis was induced. A fourth group of rabbits with no herbal medicine or betamethasone pretreatment served as controls. Aqueous flare was measured using a laser flare-cell meter. Aqueous flare intensity was expressed as the area under the curve (AUC) in arbitrary units.


RESULTS
The increase in aqueous flare induced by LPS was dose-dependent. The AUC of PGE2 (10 microg/mL) and LPS (0.5 microg/mL) induced aqueous flare elevations were 1,119 and 4,950 arbitrary units, respectively. Kakkon-to (AUC, 1,055) and Sairei-to (AUC, 965) did not inhibit the aqueous flare elevation induced by PGE2. Beta-methasone did inhibit the elevation (AUC, 271). Kakkon-to (AUC, 4,495) did not suppress the aqueous flare elevation induced by LPS. Both 0.6% and 2% Sairei-to (AUC, 2,478, and 978) and beta-methasone (AUC, 443) did suppress the aqueous flare elevation induced by LPS significantly (P < .05).


CONCLUSIONS
Sairei-to could have an inhibitory effect on experimental anterior uveitis induced by LPS.
Yano
H
H
Department of Ophthalmology, Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Japan.
Hiraki
S
S
Hayasaka
S
S
D000818:Animals; D001082:Aqueous Humor / Q000187:drug effects*; D019540:Area Under Curve; D001623:Betamethasone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015232:Dinoprostone; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D008297:Male; D011817:Rabbits; D014606:Uveitis, Anterior / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; C090831:kakkon-to; C080903:sairei-to; D001623:Betamethasone; D015232:Dinoprostone