Effects of protein compositions of Persicae semen on inflammation, allergy and blood coagulation were investigated in experimental animals. Tohnin sen is lyophilized powder of boiling water extracts of Persicae semen, and PR-A and PR-B (mol. wt.=about 300000 and 10000, respectively) are proteins purified from the water extracts. (1) PR-A and PR-B showed strong inhibitoty activity on hind paw edema induced by carrageenin in rats, and their potency (ED50=1.08 and 0.100 mg/kg, i.v., respectively) was superior to or comparable to that of indomethacin and much stronger than that of Tohnin sen. (2) PR-A (2.5 mg/kg, i.p.), PR-B (0.5 mg/kg, i.p.) and Tohnin sen (300 mg/kg, p.o.) produced a significant inhibition of granuloma formation induced by felt-pellet implantation in rats ; the activity of PR-B was approximately comparable to that of indomethacin (1-2 mg/kg, p.o.). (3) When injected into the carboxymethyl cellulose pouch, PR-B (0.1 to 10 mg/pouch) enhanced exudation of serum protein ; PR-B but not PR-A, unlike indomethacin, enhanced leucocyte emigration. (4) PR-A, PR-B or Tohnin sen did not show any significant inhibitory activity on vascular permeability and on adjuvant arthritis ; and also PR-B did not potentiate the anti-arthritic action of prednisolone. (5) PR-A and PR-B (10 mg/kg, i.p. each), like indomethacin, did not show any inhibitory activity on passive cutaneous anaphylaxis and on delayed type hypersensitivity in mice. (6) Tohnin sen (100 mg/kg, p.o.) and PR-B (20 mg/kg, i.p.) did not influence on the blood coagulation time and on erythrocyte absorption from the tissue with internal hemorrhage, respectively, in rats. (7) PR-A and PR-B showed anti-writhing activity at doses of until 5 and 0.1 mg/kg, i.v., respectively, in mice, and the anti-writhing ED50-value of Tohnin sen was 43.3 mg/kg, p.o. These results demonstrate that PR-A, PR-B and Tohnin sen have anti-edema, antigranulation and anti-writhing activities, and that their pharmacological profile was dissimilar to that of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as indomethacin.
