Effects of oral administration of Gardeniae fructus extract and intravenous injection of crocetin on lipopolysaccharide- and prostaglandin E2-induced elevation of aqueous flare in pigmented rabbits

• Published in: The American journal of Chinese medicine (1979) Vol. 31; no. 5; p. 729
• Main Authors: Nagaki, Yasunori, Hayasaka, Seiji, Abe, Tomohiro, Zhang, Xue-Yun, Hayasaka, Yoriko, Terasawa, Katsutoshi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Singapore 2003
• Subjects: Administration, Oral; Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal - pharmacology; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Aqueous Humor - drug effects; Area Under Curve; Carotenoids - pharmacology; Dinoprostone; Disease Models, Animal; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drugs, Chinese Herbal - pharmacology; Injections, Intravenous; Lipopolysaccharides; Male; Rabbits; Time Factors; Uveitis, Anterior - chemically induced; Uveitis, Anterior - drug therapy
• ISSN: 0192-415X
• DOI: 10.1142/S0192415X03001338

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of extracts of Coptidis rhizoma, Phellodendri cortex and Gardeniae fructus, which are medicinal herbs in Orengedoku-to (Huanglin-Jie-Du-Tang in Chinese), and crocetin (a major component of Gardeniae fructus) on experimental elevation of aqueous flare in pigmented rabbits. To produce aqueous flare elevation, 0.5 microg/kg lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was injected into the ear vein, or prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) 25 microg/ml, was applied to the cornea by means of a glass cylinder. Animals were pretreated by oral administration of 150 g/day of food containing 0.15% (w/w) extract powder of Coptidis rhizoma, 0.10% (w/w) extract powder of Phellodendri cortex or 0.15% (w/w) extract powder of Gardeniae fructus for 4 days, or by intravenous injection of crocetin, 0.3, 3, 30 or 300 microg/kg, 30 minutes before aqueous flare elevation. Aqueous flare was measured with a laser flare-cell meter. Aqueous flare intensity was expressed as the area under the curve (AUC) in arbitrary units. The AUC of LPS- and PGE2-induced aqueous flare elevation was 4685 and 1386 arbitrary units, respectively. Pretreatment by oral administration of 0.15% (w/w) extract of Coptidis rhizoma or 0.10% (w/w) extract of Phellodendri cortex did not inhibit LPS-induced aqueous flare elevation. Pretreatment by oral administration of 0.15% extract of Gardeniae fructus suppressed LPS-induced aqueous flare elevation (AUC: 1411 arbitrary units). Pretreatment by intravenous injection of 3, 30 or 300 microg/kg of crocetin-inhibited LPS-induced aqueous flare elevation in a dose-dependent manner. Pretreatment with 3 or 30 microg/kg of crocetin did not inhibit PGE2-induced aqueous flare elevation, but 300 microg/kg of crocetin inhibited PGE2-induced aqueous flare elevation (AUC: 918 arbitrary units).