抄録
We performed drug-induced lymphocyte stimulation tests (DLST) and leukocyte migration inhibition tests (LMIT) in an analysis of a traditional Chinese medicine, Xiao-chai-hu-tang (Japanese name : Shosaiko-to) and seven kinds of the constituent herbs in healthy volunteers to study their immunopharmacological effects on the peripheral blood lymphocytes.
The DLST findings were positive at concentrations of more than 0.01mg/mL for the heated suspension of Shosaiko-to and more than 0.1mg/mL for the centrifuged supernatant and the 0.22μm membrane-filtrate. On the other hand, the LMIT findings were positive at concentrations of more than 0.1mg/mL for three kinds of Shosaiko-to preparations. The activities of Shosaiko-to in DLST and LMIT decreased after removing insoluble materials using centrifugation and filtration and were higher in enriched T-cells than in unfractionated peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Scutellariae Radix, Glycyrrhizae Radix and Bupleuri Radix showed higher DLST and LMIT activities among the constituent herbs of Shosaiko-to.
Our findings indicate that DLST should be performed at concentrations of less than 0.001mg/mL using the heated suspension of Shosaiko-to or less than 0.01mg/mL using the centrifuged supernatant and LMIT at less than 0.01mg/mL using either the heated suspension or the centrifuged supernatant to determine whether patients have hypersensitivity to Shosaiko-to, because high concentrations of Shosaiko-to cause in vitro polyclonal stimulation of the peripheral blood mononuclear cells isolated from healthy donors. Furthermore, our results also suggest that the above activities of Shosaiko-to may effect T-cells due to high molecular weight insoluble particles most likely contained in the Scutellariae Radix, Glycyrrhizae Radix and Bupleuri Radix.
