Jpn. J. Pharmacol. 85 (1), 95-97 (2001)

Inhibition of Concanavalin A-Induced Mice Hepatitis by Coumarin Derivatives

Tosihihiro Okamoto^1,*, Shinichi Yoshida¹, Tadashi Kobayashi¹ and Susumu Okabe<sup>2

1</sup>Research Laboratories, Nippon Chemiphar Co., Ltd., 1-22 Hikokawato, Misato, Saitama 341-0005, Japan
²Department of Applied Pharmacology, Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, Kyoto 607-8414, Japan
*Corresponding author. FAX: +81-489-52-0743
E-mail: ncokamot@green.ocn.ne.jp

Abstract: The effects of coumarin derivatives, osthole, imperatorin, Pd-Ia, Pd-II and Pd-III, on mice concanavalin A (Con A) (0.2 mg/mouse, i.v.)-induced hepatitis were studied. At the dose of 200 mg/kg (i.p.), these coumarins inhibited more than 90% of the Con A-induced elevation of plasma alanine aminotransferase activity, but glycyrrhizin (200 mg/kg, i.p.) caused only 45% inhibition. At the dose of 100 mg/kg (i.p.), osthole produced the strongest inhibition among these coumarins. The inhibitory activity of osthole is lost when its 7-methoxy group is replaced by a 7-hydroxy group to form osthenol. The present results showed that coumarin derivatives inhibited Con A-induced hepatitis, with osthole being the most inhibitory.

Keywords: Coumarin, Concanavalin A, Liver