EFFECTS OF CHINESE HERBS ON MACROPHAGE FUNCTIONS IN N-BUTYL-N-BUTANOLNITROSOAMINE TREATED MICE

We investigated the effect of Chinese herbs Lithospermi radix, Astraga li radix and Cnidii rhizoma on the functions of macrophages obtained f rom mice treated with the carcinogen N-butyl-N-butanolnitrosoamine (BB N). The chemotactic activity of murine macrophages was significantly d ecreased by 17 weeks of treatment with BBN compared with controrls. Pr oduction of IL-1 and TNF was also markedly reduced. Treatment with Lit hospermi radix, Astragali radix, and Cnidii rhizoma significantly inhi bited BBN-induced suppression chemotactic activity and production of I L-I and TNF-alpha by macrophages. Moreover, we found that Astragali ra dix treated macrophage chemotaxis, it or Cnidii rhizoma-induced produc tions of TNF-alpha were in excessed of control.