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Effects of the Japanese herbal medicine "Sho-saiko-to" (TJ-9) on interleukin-12 production in patients with HCV-positive liver cirrhosis.

Abstract
Interleukin-12 (IL-12) is an important cytokine for maintenance of normal systemic defense and bioregulation. The Japanese herbal medicine Sho-saiko-to (TJ-9) has been administered to 1.5 million Japanese patients with chronic liver diseases. TJ-9 is known to significantly suppress cancer development in the liver and has macrobiotic effects. In the present study, we examined the in vitro production of IL-12 by circulating mononuclear cells from liver cirrhosis patients and the effects of TJ-9 on IL-12 production. The monocyte/macrophage fraction and the lymphocyte fraction of peripheral blood were obtained from 11 HCV-positive liver cirrhosis patients and 12 healthy subjects. Interleukin-12 levels in the supernatants were measured using ELISA kits. The levels of IL-12 produced by the patients' fractions were significantly lower than those produced by healthy subjects (p < 0.01, p < 0.05). However, when TJ-9 was added to the cultures, the IL-12 production levels in both cell fractions increased approximately three fold, and the levels from the monocyte/macrophage fraction were almost the same as those from healthy subjects. This effect of TJ-9 was attributable to two of its seven herb components, that is, scutellaria root and glycyrrhiza root. One possible mechanism for the macrobiotic effects of TJ-9 on liver cirrhosis patients may be the improvement in IL-12 production.
AuthorsM Yamashiki, A Nishimura, X X Huang, T Nobori, S Sakaguchi, H Suzuki
JournalDevelopmental immunology (Dev Immunol) Vol. 7 Issue 1 Pg. 17-22 ( 1999) ISSN: 1044-6672 [Print] England
PMID10636475 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
Chemical References
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal
  • Drugs, Chinese Herbal
  • Interleukin-12
  • saiko-keishi-to
Topics
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
  • Drugs, Chinese Herbal (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
  • Hepacivirus (isolation & purification)
  • Hepatitis C (blood, drug therapy)
  • Humans
  • Interleukin-12 (blood)
  • Liver Cirrhosis (blood, drug therapy, virology)
  • Lymphocytes (metabolism)
  • Macrophages (metabolism)
  • Monocytes (metabolism)

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