Effect of shosaikoto, a Japanese and Chinese traditional herbal medicinal mixture, on the mitogenic activity of lipopolysaccharide: a new pharmacological testing method.

Two in vitro experimental systems were compared to evaluate the pharmacological effects of Shosaikoto, a Japanese and Chinese traditional herbal medicinal mixture, on the mitogenic activity of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) using murine splenic cell culture. The first system involved the addition of serum obtained from mice treated orally with Shosaikoto while the second system involved the direct addition of Shosaikoto to the medium. Both systems were performed in parallel. Prednisolone decreased the mitogenic activity of LPS in a dose-dependent manner in both experimental systems. On the other hand, the serum of mice pretreated with Shosaikoto increased the mitogenic activity of LPS with constant cell viability, although the serum showed no mitogenic activity in the experiment without LPS. When Shosaikoto was added to the medium directly at more conventional doses, the mitogenic activity of LPS was elevated with an increase of cell viability. In the experimental system without LPS, Shosaikoto itself showed mitogenic activity. In other experiments, the mitogenic action of LPS was investigated using spleen cells of mice orally pretreated with Shosaikoto for 7 days. Mitogenic action of LPS was increased in the spleen cells of Shosaikoto-treated mice compared with the control. However, in the same experimental system without LPS, mitogenic action was not recognized in the spleen cells of Shosaikoto-treated mice.