Effect of herbal medicine keishi-to (TJ-45) and its components on rat pancreatic acinar cell injuries in vivo and in vitro.
BACKGROUND
In an attempt to clarify the mechanism of the effect of a herbal medicine, Saiko-keishi-to (TJ-10), which is a combination of Keishi-to (TJ-45) and Sho-saiko-to (TJ-9), we investigated the effects of these two herbal medicines and their components on pancreatic acinar cell injury models in vivo and in vitro.


METHODS
Four-week-old male WBN/Kob rats were fed an MB-3 pellet diet containing herbal medicine (TJ-9, TJ-10 and TJ-45). Expressions of pancreatitis-associated protein (PAP) and manganese superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD) were analyzed with a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry. The herbal medicines and two of their components, Keihi (Cinnamomi cortex) and Shakuyaku (Paeoniae radix alba), were tested in vitro using an arginine-treated rat pancreatic acinar AR4-2J cell injury model. The inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) was assayed in in vitro experiments.


RESULTS
TJ-45-treated WBN/Kob rats showed no evidence of pancreatitis whereas there were pathological changes of chronic pancreatitis in TJ-9-treated WBN/Kob rats. PAP was not expressed and Mn-SOD expression was increased in the TJ-10-, and TJ-45-treated rats. The herbal medicines and two components suppressed PAP mRNA expression and enhanced Mn-SOD and iNOS mRNA expression in arginine-treated AR4-2J cells.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that the herbal medicine TJ-45 is effective for chronic pancreatitis caused by pancreatic ischemia.
Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, 4-86 Yoneizumi, Kanazawa 921-8044, Japan. motoo@kenroku.kanazawa-u.ac.jp
Y
Y
Motoo
S B
SB
Su
M J
MJ
Xie
H
H
Mouri
H
H
Taga
N
N
Sawabu
D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000633:toxicity; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000633:toxicity*; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000235:genetics; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D010179:Pancreas / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000293:injuries* / Q000473:pathology*; D000073718:Pancreatitis-Associated Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000235:genetics; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D000073718:Pancreatitis-Associated Proteins; C000612141:REG3A protein, human; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C461359:keishi-to; D001120:Arginine; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; C496318:Nos2 protein, rat; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase