Cheng J T, Tsai C L
Biochem Pharmacol. 1986 Aug 1;35(15):2483-7. doi: 10.1016/0006-2952(86)90043-2.
Saikogenin A, an anti-inflammatory drug, is present in the crude extract of a Chinese herbal plant called Tsai-Fu. Saikogenin A was less effective in adrenalectomized rats than in normal rats in reducing the carrageenin-induced edema. Serum corticosterone and ACTH were increased in the saikogenin A-treated rats, supporting the view that stimulation of hypothalamopituitary-adrenal system is responsible for the anti-inflammatory effect of saikogenin A. This is further supported by the findings that saikogenin A did not affect the spontaneous release of corticosterone but it facilitated the ACTH-induced release. In addition, cyclic AMP in isolated pituitary and adrenal glands was increased by saikogenin A. A role for cyclic AMP as the second messenger is thus considered. Otherwise, the direct action of saikogenin A on the process of inflammation cannot be ruled out because saikogenin A also functioned in the adrenalectomized rats and it inhibited the release of histamine induced by compound 48/80. Reduction of the vascular permeability was also observed in the saikogenin A-treated rats. These results suggest that the anti-inflammatory action of saikogenin A are due to an increase in corticosterone caused by the release of ACTH and a direct effect on the process of inflammation.
柴胡皂苷A是一种抗炎药物，存在于一种名为柴胡的中草药的粗提物中。在减轻角叉菜胶诱导的水肿方面，柴胡皂苷A对肾上腺切除的大鼠的效果不如对正常大鼠的效果。在接受柴胡皂苷A治疗的大鼠中，血清皮质酮和促肾上腺皮质激素（ACTH）增加，这支持了下丘脑 - 垂体 - 肾上腺系统的刺激是柴胡皂苷A抗炎作用的原因这一观点。柴胡皂苷A不影响皮质酮的自发释放但促进ACTH诱导的释放这一发现进一步支持了这一点。此外，柴胡皂苷A使分离的垂体和肾上腺中的环磷酸腺苷（cAMP）增加。因此认为cAMP作为第二信使发挥作用。否则，不能排除柴胡皂苷A对炎症过程的直接作用，因为柴胡皂苷A在肾上腺切除的大鼠中也起作用，并且它抑制化合物48/80诱导的组胺释放。在接受柴胡皂苷A治疗的大鼠中还观察到血管通透性降低。这些结果表明，柴胡皂苷A的抗炎作用是由于ACTH释放导致皮质酮增加以及对炎症过程的直接作用。
