J. Tamaoki et al., EFFECT OF TJ-96, AN ANTIALLERGIC HERBAL MEDICINE, ON TRACHEAL TRANSEPITHELIAL POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE IN-VIVO, Research communications in molecular pathology and pharmacology, 88(1), 1995, pp. 39-50
We studied the effect of Saiboku-to (TJ-96), an anti-allergic herbal m
edicine, on transepithelial potential difference of rabbit trachea and
possible involvement of nitric oxide (NO) generation in vivo. Perfusi
on of TJ-96 on the tracheal mucosal surface increased PD in a concentr
ation-dependent manner, the maximal increase from the baseline level a
nd the concentration of TJ-96 required to produce a half-maximal effec
t (EC(50)) being 8.1 +/- 1.4 mV (mean +/- SE, P < 0.001) and 47 mu g/m
l. This effect was abolished by pretreatment with the Na channel block
er amiloride. N-G-nitro-L-arginine methylester (L-NAME) but not N-G-ni
tro-D-arginine methylester (D-NAME) inhibited TJ-96-induced increase i
n PD, and this inhibition was selectively reversed by L-arginine. Thes
e results suggest that TJ-96 stimulates Na absorption by airway epithe
lial cells probably through NO generation.