Clinical and immunomodulatory effects of fun-boi, an herbal medicine, on collagen-induced arthritis in vivo.
OBJECTIVE
Crude preparations of Fun-boi (Stephania tetrandra), a traditional antirheumatic herb, have been reported to have immunomodulatory effects on both cell-mediated and humoral immunity in vitro, but little is known about the mode of action in vivo. The objective of this study was therefore to evaluate the efficacy of Fun-boi against arthritis and its effect on the immune system.


METHODS
Mice were divided into the following 3 groups of 7 mice each: 1) a normal group, not treated to cause collagen-induced arthritis (CIA), received water orally; 2) a control group with CIA received water orally; and 3) the Fun-boi group with CIA, received Fun-boi (3 mg/g body weight/day) orally. We analyzed the arthritis score, the serum anti-type II collagen (CII) antibody level, and the percentage of the following lymphocyte subsets from lymphoid organs: B220, CD3/CD4, CD3/CD8 and CD40L/CD4 lymphocytes from blood or lymph nodes; and CD4-CD8-, CD4+CD8+, CD4+CD8- and CD4-CD8+ from the thymus.


RESULTS
Fun-boi therapy markedly reduced the severity of arthritis (p < 0.001) and tended to reduce the serum anti-CII antibody level (p = 0.06). Whereas CII immunization of DBA/1J mice caused a significant redistribution of CD3/CD8 lymphocytes from blood or lymph nodes, Fun-boi therapy caused significant normalization of the same types of lymphocyte subsets from lymph nodes, but did not affect the CD4 or CD4/CD40L lymphocyte subsets.


CONCLUSIONS
These results demonstrate that Fun-boi therapy exerts therapeutic effects in CIA mice, possibly by causing immunomodulatory effects at specific sites.
Niizawa
A
A
Department of Japanese Oriental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Toyama, Japan. niizawa@kmh.kanebo.co.jp
Kogure
T
T
Hai
L X
LX
Fujinaga
H
H
Takahashi
K
K
Shimada
Y
Y
Terasawa
K
K
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D001169:Arthritis, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D024043:Collagen Type II / Q000276:immunology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D008517:Phytotherapy; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D031609:Stephania tetrandra; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D024043:Collagen Type II; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal