Jpn. J. Pharmacol. 73 (1), 29-32 (1997)

Increase of Cl- Secretion Induced by Kampo Medicine (Japanese Herbal Medicine), Sai-rei-to, in Mongolian Gerbil Middle Ear Epithelium

Katsuhisa Ikeda (1), Masayuki Furukawa (1), Noriko Tanno (1), Mutsuo Yamaya (2) and Tomonori Takasaka (1)

Departments of (1) Otorhinolaryngology and (2) Geriatric Medicine, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai 980-77, Japan

Abstract: Sai-rei-to, a type of Kampo medicine (Japanese herbal medicine), has been shown to be clinically effective in treating patients with otitis media with effusion. The effect of Sai-rei-to on the ion transport of the middle ear surface epithelium cultured from the Mongolian gerbil was investigated by using an Ussing chamber. Application of Sai-rei-to to the mucosal bath but not the serosal bath induced an increase in the short-circuit current (ISC) in the basal state. The increase in ISC was almost completely inhibited by addition of diphenylamine-2-carboxylic acid but not by amiloride, indicating enhancement of Cl- secretion. On the basis of the lack of changes in the intracellular Ca2+ concentration and a sideness of action, the effect of Sai-rei-to on ISC is thought to be a direct and selective activation on the apical Cl- channel.

Keywords: Short-circuit current, Cl- secretion, Basal secretion, Otitis media with effusion, Mucociliary transport