[Chemical characterization and biological activity of the immunologically active substances in Juzen-taiho-to (Japanese kampo prescription)].

Juzen-taiho-to (TJ-48) is prepared by extracting a mixture of ten kinds of medicinal plants. This prescription has long been used traditionally against anemia, anorexia, extreme exhaustion and fatigue. TJ-48 may now provide new advantages with little toxicity in combination with chemotherapy or radiation therapy, and promising results have actually been obtained in terms of preventing leukemia in cancer patients who have taken antitumor agents. The combination of TJ-48 and mitomycin C (MMC) produced significantly longer survival in p-388 tumor-bearing mice than MMC alone, and TJ-48 decreased the diverse effects of MMC such as leukopenia, thrombopenia and weight loss. However, mechanisms of the pharmacological action are still unclear. One of the possible mechanisms of the action of TJ-48 may be some effects on immune responses. Therefore we studied the effects of TJ-48 on immune response in mice and characterization of immunologically active substances. TJ-48 augmented antibody production and activated macrophage by oral administration of TJ-48, but reduced the MMC-induced immunosuppression in mice. TJ-48 showed a mitogenic activity in splenocytes but not in thymocytes, and an anti-complementary activity was also observed. Anti-complementary activity and mitogenic activity were both observed in high-molecular polysaccharide fraction but not in low-molecular weight fraction. Of several polysaccharide fractions in TJ-48, only pectic polysaccharide fraction (F-5-2) showed potent mitogenic activity. F-5-2 was also shown to have the highest anti-complementary activity. However, the polygalacturonan region is essential for the expression of the mitogenic activity, but that the contribution of poly-galacturonan region to the anti-complementary activity is less. F-5-2 activates complement via alternative complement pathway and induces the proliferation of B cells but does not differentiate those cells from antibody producing cells.