抄録
Cepharanthin, a biscoclaurin alkaloid preparation extracted from Stephania cepharantha, is reported to exert a biological membrane stabilizing effect, antiallergic effect, and immunoen-hancing effect. This preparation is also considered to stimulate hematopoietic stem cells but inhibit activated oxygen production in polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) . In the field of dental medicine, this drug is used in the treatment of aphthous stomatitis, lichen planus and glossalgia. This study was conducted to determine the effects of this preparation on PMN phagocytosis. PMN phagocytosis was assessed with PMNs isolated from peripheral blood obtained from 5 healthy men who had not taken any medicine for the preceding 3 months. Serum combined with phosphate buffered saline solution containing Cepharanthin at concentra-tions of 0 (control group), 0.5, 1, 10 and 50μg/ml, was added to the PMNs. Fluorescein isothiocyanate-labelled beads were added as a maker for phagocytosis, and the specimen groups were incubated at 37°C for 5, 10, 20 and 30 min. After fixation, 5000 cells from each incubated group were examined by flow cytometry for their phagocytosis index and the number of maker beads ingested per cell ; the results were analyzed statistically. The phagocytosis index in evecy group showed time-dependent increases from 5 to 30 min of incubation. The increase in the Cepharanthin-treated groups was higher than that in the control (untreated) group. There were statistically significant differences (significance level, 5%) between the 0.5μg/ml Cepharanthin-treated group and control group, and between the 50pg/ml group and control group, at incubation periods of 10 and 20 min, respectively. Although the number of marker beads ingested per cell every group tended to decrease at 5 min of incubation they increased after that. No significant differences were found between the incubated groups. The above results indicate that Cepharanthin stimulates a biophylactic function by enhancing PMN phagocytosis in human peripheral blood.
