IN-VIVO ANTIINFLUENZA VIRUS ACTIVITY OF KAMPO (JAPANESE HERBAL) MEDICINE SHO-SEIRYU-TO - EFFECTS ON AGED MICE, AGAINST SUBTYPES OF A-VIRUS AND B-VIRUS, AND THERAPEUTIC EFFECT

When aged BALB/c mice (similar to 6 months old) were treated with a Ka mpo (Japanese herbal) medicine ''Sho-seiryu-to (SST)'' (I g/kg, 10 tim es) orally from 7 days before to 4 days after the infection and infect ed with mouse-adapted influenza virus A/PR/8/34 (H1N1 subtype) by nasa l site-restricted infection, replication of the virus in the broncho-a lveolar cavity was efficiently inhibited at 5 days after infection in comparison with water-treated mice. The antiviral IgA antibody in the broncho-alveolar wash of the SST treated aged mice increased significa ntly. When mice (7 weeks old) were administered orally with SST (1 and 2 g/kg, 7 times) from 4 days before to 3 days after the infection and infected with mouse-adapted influenza virus A/Guizhou/54/89 (H3N2 sub type) or B/Ibaraki/2/85, replication of the viruses in the nasal cavit y and lung were significantly inhibited at 4 days after infection in c omparison with control mice. When mice infected with influenza virus A /Fukuoka/C29/85 (H3N2) before 14 days were secondary infected with A/P R/8 virus and administered orally with SST (1 g/kg, 5 times) from 2 h to 5 days after the secondary infection, replication of the virus in b oth nasal and broncho-alveolar cavities were significantly inhibited a t 5 days after the secondary infection in comparison with water-treate d control. Oral administration of SST (1 g/kg, 18 times) from 7 days b efore to 14 days after vaccination followed by secondary nasal inocula tion of influenza HA vaccine (5 mu g/mouse) at 14 days after the first vaccination significantly augmented nasal antiviral IgA antibody and broncho-alveolar and serum antiviral IgG antibodies. These results sug gest that SST is useful for influenza virus infection on aged persons and for cross-protection of subtypes of influenza A viruses and influe nza B virus. SST is also useful for the treatment of influenza virus i nfection on human which has a history of influenza virus infection and /or influenza vaccination.