Abstract
Recent findings demonstrated that a significant number of Fusobacterium varium was identified in the mucosa of patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) (Ohkusa et al., J. Gastroenterol. Hepatol., 17, 849-853, 2002), and it has been suggested that the butyrate produced by F. varium is involved in the pathogenesis of UC (Ohkusa et al., Gut, 52, 79-83, 2003). In the screening of Kampo formulas to protect butyrate-induced death of murine colonic epithelial cells MCE301 as an in vitro model of UC, it was found that the hangeshashinto (HST, Banxia Xiexin Tang in Chinese) and its related Kampo formulas showed the potent inhibitory activity against butyrate-induced cell death. Of the components of the formulation of HST, only decocted extract of Coptidis Rhizoma showed the potent activity. The inhibitory effect of HST extract was disappeared after removal of Coptidis Rhizoma from the formula of HST. By bioassay guided fractionation of Coptidis Rhizoma extract, and HPLC analysis of the active fraction in comparison with standard samples, berberine was identified as one of active ingredients of Coptidis Rhizoma extract. These results suggest that berberine in HST and related formulas inhibits the butyrate-induced colonic epithelial cell death. HST and its related formulations have been clinically used for the treatment of UC. The data presented here may partly explain the mechanism of clinical effectiveness of HST and its related Kampo formulas on treatment of UC.
