Suppressive effect of hochu-ekki-to on collagen induced arthritis in DBA1J mice.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of hochu-ekki-to (HET) decoction on the development of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) in mice.


METHODS
CIA was induced in male DBA/IJ mice by immunization with 2 injections of bovine type II collagen (CII). HET was orally administered at different doses and with different schedules. The incidence of arthritis, arthritis index, levels of anti-CII antibody, interleukin 6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and lymphocyte subsets were examined.


RESULTS
HET caused suppression of CIA development in a dose dependent fashion and exerted a suppressive effect on CIA when administered from the first CII immunization or from the onset of CIA, but not when administered for 2 weeks before CII immunization. HET inhibited the production of specific anti-CII antibody, IL-6, and TNF-alpha, and tended to normalize the proportions of cells in lymphocyte subsets.


CONCLUSIONS
HET suppresses the development of CIA, and HET redistributes the population of lymphocytes in lymph node and blood and inhibits IL-6 and TNF-alpha secretion in CIA mice.
Department of Japanese Oriental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University.
Le Xuan
le X
Hai
Toshiaki
T
Kogure
Atsushi
A
Niizawa
Hiroshi
H
Fujinaga
Iwao
I
Sakakibara
Yutaka
Y
Shimada
Hiroshi
H
Watanabe
Katsutoshi
K
Terasawa
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000818:Animals; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001169:Arthritis, Experimental / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002417:Cattle; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D024043:Collagen Type II / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D007596:Joints / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D024043:Collagen Type II; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C402943:bu-zhong-yi-qi-tang