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In order to disclose the effect of “KANPO-YAKU” on immune responses, we investigated the induction of anti-SRBC response (PFC assay) in the spleen cells of BDF1 female mice which received Tsumura-Juzentaihoto (TJ-48) . TJ-48 induced an augmentation of anti-SRBC response by oral administration once a day for 7 consecutive days in a dose dependent manner. The maximum induction of anti-SRBC response was seen by 7 days-administration of TJ-48 (2 g/kg/day) and no further increase was obtained by longer treatment. After withdrawing TJ-48, the augmentation of anti-SRBC response was maintained for 3 days and disappeared by 7 days after the withdrawal. The anti-SRBC response was enhanced whether immunization with SRBC was done in vivo or in vitro.

The effect of one of Kampo prescriptions, Tsumura Juzentaihoto (TJ-48), on phagocytes was investigated in BALB/c mice.The oral administration of TJ-48 for 3 to 5 days resulted in the enhanced phagocytic activity of peritoneal exudate cells (PEC) and bone marrow cells (BMC) and the maximum increase was observed at 2 g/kg/day of TJ-48. The enhanced phagocytosis was maintained for 5 days after the withdrawal of TJ-48 and returned to the basal level on day 7. A large increase of chemiluminescence was obtained in PEG from mice given TJ-48 orally for 7 days. Moreover, TJ-48 showed the direct activatingeffect on the phagocytosis of PEC and BMC in in vitro assay.

The mitogenic activity of TJ-48 in murine lymphoid cells was examined to get a clue for the augmentation of antibody production by TJ-48.Mitogenic activity of TJ-48 was detected in spleen cells, lymphonodus cells but not in thymocytes. The effect was abolished by pretreatment with anti-Ig antibody but not affected by pretreatment with anti-Thy 1.2 antibody. Coculture of spleen cells with TJ-48 resulted in increased number of sIgM-, sIgG- or sIgD-positive cells according to FAGS analysis. The increase in mitosis by TJ-48 was abolished by the elimination of adherent cells and the readdition of adherent cells recovered the effect of TJ-48. These data indicate that TJ-48 is a B cell mitogen and the activity is T cell-independent and adherent cell-dependent. The mitogenic activity of TJ-48 may account for the augmentation of the immune response.

The effects of Juzentaihoto (TJ-48) on cellular immunity were investigated by using delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) reaction, mixed lymphocyte culture response (MLR) and cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response. Oral administration of TJ-48 was found to induce the augmentation of DTH and CTL responses. TJ-48 tended to enhance the MLR although it was not statistically significant. These results suggest that TJ-48 has an immunopotentiating activity on cellular immunity in addition to humoral immunity which we have reported previcusly.

Effect of Shosaikoto (TJ-9), Hochuekito (TJ-41) and Juzentaihoto (TJ-48) on phagocytic activity of leukocytes in mice was investigated.When TJ-9, TJ-41 or TJ-48 was given to mice either intraperitoneally or orally, all of these Kampo medicines enhanced the phagocytic activity of peritoneal exudate cells (PEC) .Oral administration of TJ-41 or TJ-48 also stimulated the phagocytosis of PEC, spleen cells and bone marrow cells. In contrast TJ-9 enhanced only the activity of PEG.