Effect of herbal medicine Saiko-keishi-to (TJ-10) on rat spontaneous chronic pancreatitis: comparison with other herbal medicines.
BACKGROUND
In an attempt to obtain evidence of the beneficial effects of TJ-10, we investigated the gene expression of PAP, an acute phase protein specific for pancreatitis in rat spontaneous chronic pancreatitis.


METHODS
Four-wk-old male WBN/Kob rats were fed with MB-3 pellet diet containing herbal medicine. There were two administration groups for each drug: the prophylactic group administered from 4-12 wk, and the therapeutic group administered from 12-20 wk. Untreated control rats were fed with MB-3 alone. Histopathologic changes and PAP gene expressions were analyzed at 12 and 20 wk.


RESULTS
In the prophylactic group, TJ-10-treated WBN/Kob rats showed no evidence of pancreatitis, and there was the amelioration of pancreatitis in the pancreata of the rats treated with other herbal medicines except TJ-24 at 12 wk. PAP mRNA was not expressed in the TJ-10-treated rats, and PAP gene expression was suppressed in rats treated with other drugs except TJ-107. In the therapeutic group, the amelioration of pancreatitis was seen only in TJ-10-treated rats, but PAP gene expression was significantly suppressed in the rats treated with all herbal medicines tested, compared with that in untreated control rats.


CONCLUSIONS
An herbal medicine Saiko-keishi-to (TJ-10) delayed the onset of chronic pancreatitis in the WBN/Kob rat, and suppressed the pancreatitis-associated protein (PAP) gene expression more significantly than other herbal medicines.
Motoo
Y
Y
Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Japan. motoo@kenroku.kanazawa-u.ac.jp
Su
S B
SB
Xie
M J
MJ
Taga
H
H
Sawabu
N
N
D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D008297:Male; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000073718:Pancreatitis-Associated Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D000073718:Pancreatitis-Associated Proteins; C000612141:REG3A protein, human; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C000612144:Reg3b protein, rat; C018142:saiko-keishi-to