title: Protective effects of Wen-Pi-Tang against cultured renal epithelial cellular injury.
abstract: A study was conducted to clarify whether extracts of Wen-Pi-Tang and its component crude drugs ameliorate renal cellular injury by assaying lactate dehydrogenase and malondialdehyde leakage from LLC-PK(1) cells in culture. The cells were cultured with various concentrations of the samples under two sets of conditions: routine and hypoxia-reoxygenation. The results demonstrated that Wen-Pi-Tang, Rhei rhizoma, Glycyrrhizae radix exerted marked protective effects on the cells; Ginseng radix showed moderate activity, whereas Zingiberis rhizoma and Aconiti tuber had virtually no such effect. Two pure compounds, epicatechin 3-O-gallate and licochalcone A isolated from Rhei rhizoma and Glycyrrhizae radix, respectively, exerted the same marked effects as the parent crude drugs. In the light of these findings, we concluded that Wen-Pi-Tang and its major components protect renal epithelial cells against injury mediated by hypoxia-reoxygenation and/or prevent such injury. The primary mechanism of these effects appeared to be antilipid peroxidant activity present in the preparation.
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Wakan-Yaku, Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Sugitani, Toyama, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yokozawa
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Oura
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nishioka
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawai
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gemba