EFFECT OF SAIBOKU-TO (CHAI-PU-TANG), A TRADITIONAL HERBAL MEDICINE, ON THE EXPRESSION OF TUMOR-NECROSIS-FACTOR DURING LATE ASTHMATIC RESPONSE IN GUINEA-PIGS

Saiboku-to (TJ-96) has been used orally for the prophylactic treatment of bronchial asthma including chronic, severe and steroid-dependent t ypes. In this experiment we examined the effect of this remedy on the late asthmatic response (LAR) and the expression of TNF-alpha in a gui nea-pig asthmatic model. Approximately 3-week-old male Hartley strain guinea-pigs were immunized with a mixture of ascaris suum extract and silica gel and challenged with inhalation of the antigen, by which a d ual asthmatic response was developed. TJ-96 was administered 500 mg/kg /day (corresponding to the maximum clinical dose) for 14 days before t he challenge using a gastric tube. Lung tissues were fixed in periodat e-lysine-paraformaldehyde. The enzyme linked indirect imunoperoxidase method was applied on 3 mu m thick sections. The antibodies used were anti-human TNF-alpha polyclonal rabbit IgG. TJ-96 significantly suppre ssed the LAR and the infiltration of eosinophils and mast cells in the lung. The immunohistochemistry revealed that this cytokine was strong ly expressed in mast cells, macrophages and bronchial epithelial cells of the lung tissues from asthmatic guinea-pigs with LAR, while its ex pression was reduced in the TJ-96 treatment group in which LAR was sup pressed.