Basic Research
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2002. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Feb 15, 2002; 8(1): 188-192
Published online Feb 15, 2002. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v8.i1.188
Study on the mechanism of regulation on peritoneal lymphatic stomata with Chinese herbal medicine
Shi-Ping Ding, Ji-Cheng Li, Jian Xu, Lian-Gen Mao
Shi-Ping Ding, Ji-Cheng Li, Lian-Gen Mao, Department of Lymphology, Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical College of Zhejiang University, School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310031, China
Jian Xu, Hangzhou First People’s Hospital, Hangzhou 310001, China
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,No. 39970934, Scientific Research Fund by the Science Technology Committee of Hangzhou, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No.927031, Zhejiang Provincial Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, fund for outstanding talents by the Chinese Ministry of Health and Analysis and Testing Fund of Zhejiang Province, No.00159
Correspondence to: Dr. Ji-Cheng Li, Department of Lymphology, Department of Histology and Embryology, Zhejiang University, School of Medicine,Hangzhou 310031, China. lijc@mail.hz.zj.cn
Telephone: +86-571-87217139 Fax: +86-571-87217139
Received: August 23, 2001
Revised: October 19, 2001
Accepted: November 5, 2001
Published online: February 15, 2002
Abstract

AIM: To study the mechanism of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM, the prescription consists of Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae, Radix Codonopsitis Pilosulae, Rhizoma Atractylodis Alba and Rhizoma Alismatis, Leonurus Heterophyllus Sweet, etc) on the regulation of the peritoneal lymphatic stomata and the ascites drainage.

METHODS: The mouse model of live fibrosis was established with the application of intragastric installations of carbon tetrachloride once every three days; scanning electron microscope and computer image processing were used to detect the area and the distributive density of the peritoneal lymphatic stomata; and the concentrations of urinary ion and NO in the serum were analyzed in the experiment.

RESULTS: Two different doses of CHM could significantly increase the area of the peritoneal lymphatic stomata, promote its distributive density and enhance the drainage of urinary ion such as sodium, potassium and chlorine. Meanwhile, the NO concentration of two different doses of CHM groups was 133.52 ± 23.57 μmol/L, and 137.2 ± 26.79 μmol/L respectively. In comparison with the control group and model groups (48.36 ± 6.83 μmol/L, and 35.22 ± 8.94 μmol/L, P < 0.01), there existed significantly marked difference, this made it clear that Chinese herbal medicine could induce high endogenous NO concentration. The effect of Chinese herbal medicine on the peritoneal lymphatic stomata and the drainage of urinary ion was altered by adding NO donor(sodium nitropurruside, SNP) or NO synthase (NOS) inhibitor (N(G)-monomethyl-L-arginine, L-NMMA) to the peritoneal cavity.

CONCLUSION: There existed correlations between high NO concentration and enlargement of the peritoneal lymphatic stomata, which result in enhanced drainage of ascites. These data supported the hypothesis that Chinese herbal medicine could regulate the peritoneal lymphatic stomata by accelerating the synthesis and release of endogenous NO.

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