Protective effect of oral administration of a pectic polysaccharide fraction from a Kampo (Japanese herbal) medicine "Juzen-Taiho-To" on adverse effects of cis-diaminedichloroplatinum.

A dried decoction of a kampo (Japanese herbal) medicine, Juzen-Taiho-To (TJ-48) has been fractionated into five fractions, which have each been tested for their protective effects on the lethal and renal toxicities of cis-diaminedichloroplatinum (CDDP) in mice. The survival rate of CDDP-treated ICR mice was increased by oral administration of the pectic polysaccharide fraction (F-5), whereas the mortality of the CDDP-treated mice was not changed by the oral administration of methanol-soluble fraction (F-1). When methanol-soluble substances were removed from TJ-48, it showed a similar protective activity on the lethal toxicity of CDDP. Oral administrations of F-5 (130 mg/kg/day) as well as TJ-48 (1 g/kg/day) decreased the level of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) in plasma of CDDP-treated Balb/c mice. All other fractions of TJ-48 also decreased the level of BUN. Although F-5 has been fractionated into the acidic (F-5-2) and neutral polysaccharide fractions (F-5-5), oral administration of only F-5-2 (at dose of 100 mg/kg/day) decreased the level of BUN in the CDDP-treated mice.