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Preventive Effect of Ninjin‐to (Ren‐Shen‐Tang), a Kampo (Japanese Traditional) Formulation, on Spontaneous Autoimmune Diabetes in Non‐Obese Diabetic (NOD) Mice
Author(s) -
Kobayashi Takao,
Song Qinghua,
Hong Tie,
Kitamura Hajime,
Cyong Jongchoi
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
microbiology and immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.664
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1348-0421
pISSN - 0385-5600
DOI - 10.1111/j.1348-0421.2000.tb02499.x
Subject(s) - insulitis , nod mice , nod , diabetes mellitus , medicine , endocrinology , cytokine , streptozotocin , immunology , autoimmunity , kampo , biology , immune system , pathology , alternative medicine
We previously found that ingestion of an extract of Ninjin‐to (NJT; Ren‐Shen‐Tang) suppressed the development of autoimmune diabetes in C57BL/KsJ mice induced by multiple low doses of streptozotocin. To verify this effects on spontaneous autoimmune diabetes, the effects of NJT on NOD mice were investigated in the present study. NJT, provided in drinking water (0.25%, 450 mg/kg/day) from 6 weeks of age, significantly prevented the incidence of spontaneous diabetes in female NOD mice at 30 weeks of age (2/10) compared with that of the controls (7/10), with no effects on body growth or food intake. Even in non‐diabetic mice, the blood glucose levels of the NOD controls gradually increased with age, while such increase in NJT‐treated mice was significantly suppressed by preventing any deficiency of glucose tolerance. NJT also significantly suppressed the progression of insulitis, which causes insulin deficiency and diabetes. It is well known that NOD mice develop insulitis and diabetes because of their Th1‐dominant autoimmune response. IFN‐γ production from splenic T lymphocytes stimulated with anti‐CD3 monoclonal antibodies was increased, whereas IL‐4 production was decreased in NOD controls compared to age‐ and sex‐matched normal ICR mice. NJT‐treatment reduced these deviations of cytokine production in NOD mice. These data all suggest that NJT can prevent spontaneous insulitis and diabetes by the modification of deviated cytokine production in NOD mice.