Inhibition of cytokine production by the traditional oriental medicine, ‘Gamcho-Sasim-Tang’ in mitogen-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells from Adamantiades-Behçet's patients

• Published in: Journal of ethnopharmacology Vol. 83; no. 1; pp. 123 - 128
• Main Authors: Kim, Mi-Sun, Chung, Hwan-Suck, Lee, Jun-Gyoung, Lim, Woon Ki, Hwang, Chung-Yeon, Lee, Eon-Jeong, Cho, Kwang-Ho, Wi, Dac-Han, Kim, Hyung-Min
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01.11.2002; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adamantiades-Behçet's disease; Adjuvants, Immunologic - administration & dosage; Adjuvants, Immunologic - pharmacology; Adjuvants, Immunologic - therapeutic use; Adult; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - administration & dosage; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - pharmacology; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - therapeutic use; Behcet Syndrome - drug therapy; Biological and medical sciences; Cytokines - drug effects; Drugs, Chinese Herbal - administration & dosage; Drugs, Chinese Herbal - pharmacology; Drugs, Chinese Herbal - therapeutic use; Female; Gamcho-Sasim-Tang; General pharmacology; Humans; IFN-γ; IL-1β; Interferon-gamma - drug effects; Interleukin-1 - metabolism; Leukocytes, Mononuclear - drug effects; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Phytotherapy; TNF-α; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - drug effects; Asia; China; IFN-γ; Adamantiades-Behçet's disease; TNF-α; Gamcho-Sasim-Tang; IL-1β; Human; Biological fluid; Drug combination; Pharmacognosy; Oriental medicine; Antiinflammatory agent; Cytokine; Interleukin 1β; Inflammation; In vitro; Biological activity; Blood; Medicinal plant; Immunomodulator; Mononuclear cell; Folk medicine; T-Lymphocyte; Plant origin; Mechanism of action; Tumor necrosis factor α; Gamma interferon
• ISSN: 0378-8741; 1872-7573
• DOI: 10.1016/S0378-8741(02)00221-0

Gamcho-Sasim-Tang (GS-Tang) is a traditional Chinese medication, which has been successfully used in Korea for the treatment of Adamantiades-Behçet's disease (ABD). We investigated the modulation effects of GS-Tang on cytokine production from phytohaemagglutinin-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells of Behçet's patients. ABD is a systemic inflammatory disorder and might involve immune dysfunction. Cytokines involved in the regulation of inflammatory reactions and immune responses may play a role in the pathogenesis of ABD. GS-Tang (1 mg/ml) significantly inhibited the production of proinflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β), compared to absence of GS-Tang (by 42.0±6.6% inhibition for TNF-α and 95.9±5.7% for IL-1β, P<0.05). GS-Tang also inhibited the production of IFN-γ, immunoregulatory T helper cell type 1 cytokine, by 80.2±5.3% ( P=0.001). The inhibitory effects of GS-Tang on cytokine production showed dose-dependent manner. Our results suggest that GS-Tang might have anti-inflammatory and immuno-regulatory effects through the cytokine modulation.