title: A Chinese herbal medicine, fu-ling, regulates interleukin-10 production by murine spleen cells.
abstract: Fu-ling is one of the most widely used Chinese herbal medicines. In this study, we investigated the regulatory effect of fu-ling on interleukin-10 (IL-10) production in vivo. Mice were i.p. administered 0.1 mg to 1.0 mg fu-ling per gram body weight daily for three days. The spleen cells were isolated and assayed for both IL-10 and immunoglobulin (Ig) production. Results indicated that the mice treated with fu-ling had significantly increased spleen cell ability to secrete IL-10. Spleen cells isolated from the mice injected with either 0.1 mg or 1.0 mg fu-ling per gram body weight also showed an increase in IL-10 mRNA expression. As IL-10 is a potent differentiation factor of B-lymphocytes, the possible effect of fu-ling on Ig production was also studied. Results indicated that fu-ling significantly induced an increase in IgG and IgA secretion by spleen cells but showed no effect on IgM secretion. Thus, fu-ling may affect the function of B-lymphocytes via stimulating IL-10 production.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, National Taiwan Normal University, 88 Ting-Chou Road, Seetion 4, Taipei 116, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chian-Jiun
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Liou
authors.forename: Jerming
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tseng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D000070660:Wolfiporia
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D016753:Interleukin-10