PHARMACOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF DAI-SAIKO-TO ON LIPID BIOSYNTHESIS IN CULTURED HUMAN HEPATOCYTE HEPG(2) CELLS

The pharmacological effects of Dai-saiko-to, a Japanese and Chinese tr aditional medicinal mixture (Kampohozai), on lipid biosynthesis were i nvestigated in cultured human hepatocyte HepG(2) cells. The addition o f Dai-saiko-to (0.5 mg/ml), which had no significant effect on cell pr oliferation, caused a marked decrease in the intracellular triglycerid e content with no significant changes in the other lipid fraction. At the same time, the incorporation of C-14-acetate or H-3-glycerol into the triglyceride or diglyceride fractions also decreased significantly . These results suggest that Dai-saiko-to decreases hepatic triglyceri de biosynthesis, which might contribute to a reduction in plasma VLDL levels.