Accumulation of Immature B and Null Lymphocytes in the Periphery After Intraperitoneal Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Xiao-Chai-Hu-Tang (Japanese Name : Shosaiko-to)

Abstract

Accumulation of lymphocytes after an intraperitoneal (ip) injection of a traditional Chinese herb medicine, XIAO-CHAI-HU-TANG (Japanese name : shosaiko-to), was investigated. Shosaiko-to induced marked accumulation of lymphocytes rather than macrophages in the peritoneal cavity of ICR mice, whereas various kinds of irritants, e.g. proteose-pepton, Escherichia coli lipopoly-saccharide (LPS), OK-432 and Corynebacterium parvum, induced preferential accumulation of macrophages rather than lymphocytes. By means of analysis using two-color fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS), it was revealed that the increased lymphocyte subpopulations not only in the peritoneal cavity but also in the spleen of C3H/He mice by the injettion of shosaiko-to were comprised of both immature B(IgM⁺ and IgD⁻) and null (thyl⁻ and Ig⁻) cells. This effect of shosaiko-to was observed in other C5 normal strains, C3H/HeJ (LPS-nonresponder), C57BL/6, BALB/c and athymic nu/nu (ICR background) mice, but not in C5 deficient strains, AKR/J, A/J and DBA/2 mice, indicating that the accumulation of immature B and null cells in the periphery induced by shosaiko-to is closely related to the complement system.