Antifibrotic effect of the herbal medicine Saiko-keishi-to (TJ-10) on chronic pancreatitis in the WBN/Kob rat.

Abstract

Chronic pancreatitis is characterized by fibrosis. We reported an anti-inflammatory effect of the herbal medicine Saiko-keishi-to (TJ-10) on chronic pancreatitis. This study aimed to elucidate the antifibrotic effect of TJ-10. Four-week-old male WBN/Kob rats were fed a special pellet diet (MB-3) with or without TJ-10 (80 mg/100 g body weight) for 20 weeks. Pancreata were histopathologically examined at every 4 weeks, and the expression of fibrosis-related factors such as transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-beta1), fibronectin (FN), alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA), and type III collagen was analyzed. In untreated WBN/Kob rats, chronic pancreatitis developed at 12 weeks and progressed with marked fibrosis at 16 weeks, and the expression of TGF-beta1 and FN peaked at 12 weeks. However, in the TJ-10-treated rats, the rate of pancreatic fibrosis and the expression of TGF-beta1, FN, alpha-SMA, and type III collagen at 12 and 16 weeks decreased significantly compared to those in the untreated rats. These results suggest that TJ-10 inhibits the pancreatic fibrosis by the suppression of TGF-beta1 expression.

• Authors: S B Su, Y Motoo, M J Xie, H Taga, N Sawabu
• Journal: Pancreas (Pancreas) Vol. 22 Issue 1 Pg. 8-17 (Jan 2001) ISSN: 0885-3177 [Print] United States
• PMID: 11138977 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Actins
• Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal
• Drugs, Chinese Herbal
• Fibronectins
• RNA, Messenger
• Tgfb1 protein, rat
• Transforming Growth Factor beta
• Transforming Growth Factor beta1
• saiko-keishi-to
• Collagen

Topics

• Actins (metabolism)
• Animals
• Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal (therapeutic use)
• Body Weight
• Chronic Disease
• Collagen (metabolism)
• Diet
• Drugs, Chinese Herbal (therapeutic use)
• Fibronectins (biosynthesis, genetics)
• Fibrosis (prevention & control)
• Gene Expression (drug effects)
• Male
• Organ Size
• Pancreas (drug effects, metabolism, pathology)
• Pancreatitis (drug therapy, metabolism, pathology)
• RNA, Messenger (biosynthesis)
• Rats
• Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
• Transforming Growth Factor beta (biosynthesis, genetics)
• Transforming Growth Factor beta1