The in vivo effects of cytokines modulation for BALB/C mice fed with a traditional combined chinese herb-soaked solution, Yi-Fey Ruenn-Hou tea

Immunopharmacol Immunotoxicol. 2004 Aug;26(3):435-44. doi: 10.1081/iph-200026897.

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of Yi-Fey Ruenn-Hou (YR) Tea, a combination of Chinese herbs, 10% licorice root, 10% American ginseng, 10% Radix Paeoniae alba and 70% green tea-soaked solution, on the cytokine modulation in Balb/C mice. Four groups of mice were administered either 1ml of drinking water (group A) or 2 mg/ml (group B), 8 mg/ml (group C), 40 mg/ml (group D) of a saturated solution of combined Chinese herbs daily for six months. The physiological and pathological characteristics of the mice were observed during the time, and the mice were weighed and at least two mice were sacrificed each month for pathological detection of the brain, heart, liver, spleen and kidney and cytokine analysis. The results revealed neither weight difference nor pathological change among the four groups, however, serum-cytokine assay indicated that the cytokine modulation effects are consistent, and the most obvious cytokine modulation effect was observed in group D, which was the highest dosage employed for treating the mice. TH2-pattern cytokines responded earlier and higher in group D than in groups B and C. Furthermore, the effect of YR Tea on cytokine modulation in vivo is predominantly TH2-pattern and is dependent on its dosage (P < 0.05).

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Beverages*
  • Camellia sinensis
  • Cytokines / biosynthesis*
  • Cytokines / blood
  • Drugs, Chinese Herbal / administration & dosage*
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Female
  • Glycyrrhiza*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Paeonia*
  • Panax*
  • Tea
  • Th1 Cells / drug effects*
  • Th1 Cells / immunology

Substances

  • Cytokines
  • Drugs, Chinese Herbal
  • Tea