title: Radioprotective effects of two traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions: si-wu-tang and si-jun-zi-tang.
abstract: We performed this study to determine the effect of Si-Wu-Tang, a basic prescription of traditional Oriental medicine as a blood-building decoction (Chinese medical concept: Bu-Xie), Si-Jun-Zi-Tang, a basic prescription as an energy tonic (Chinese medical concept: Bu-Qi) and its major ingredients on jejunal crypt survival, endogenous spleen colony formation, and apoptosis in jejunal crypt cells of mice irradiated with high and low dose of gamma-irradiation. Si-Wu-Tang administration before irradiation protected the jejunal crypts (p < 0.0005), increased the formation of endogenous spleen colonies (p < 0.05) and reduced the frequency of radiation-induced apoptosis (p < 0.05). In an experiment on the effect of ingredients of Si-Wu-Tang, the result indicated that extract of Danggui and Baishaoyao might have a major radioprotective effect. The radioprotective effect of Si-Jun-Zi-Tang and its ingredients were not as significant as that of Si-Wu-Tang. Although the mechanisms of this inhibitory effect remain to be elucidated, these results indicate that Si-Wu-Tang might be a useful radioprotector, especially since it is a relatively nontoxic natural product. Further studies are needed to characterize better the protective nature of Si-Wu-Tang extract and its ingredients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chonnam National University, Kwangju, South Korea.
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Jo
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Byun
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Yee
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D003114:Colony-Forming Units Assay; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D007583:Jejunum / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D011837:Radiation-Protective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D011837:Radiation-Protective Agents; C403259:si-jun-zi-tang; C403258:si-wu-tang