Enhancement of interleukin-1 alpha mediated autocrine growth of cultured human keratinocytes by Sho-saiko-to

Authors Matsumoto, Y; Kato, M; Tamada, Y; Mori, H; Ohashi, M

Journal JAPANESE JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY , APR 1997,4:73

DOI 10.1254/jjp.73.333 PubMed 9165370

Abstract We investigated the effects of Sho-saiko-to, the most commonly used herbal medicine in Japan, on the production of interleukin (IL)-1 alpha: by cultured human epidermal keratinocytes. IL-1 alpha production was significantly promoted by treatment with 100 or 500 mu g/ml Sho-saiko-to for 24 or 48 hr. Expression of IL-1 alpha receptors was the most markedly upregulated after treatment with 500 mu g/ml Sho-saiko-to for 24 hr and with 100 or 500 mu g/ml for 48 hr; these cells showed the characteristics of multilayered differentiated keratinocytes. The presence of an anti-IL-1 alpha antibody during the treatment with 500 mu g/ml of Sho-saiko-to for 24 or 48 hr or with 100 alpha g/ml for 48 hr significantly down-regulated the synthesis by the keratinocytes and induced damages in them. Keratinocytes treated with Sho-saiko-to might produce IL-1 alpha and express IL-1 alpha receptors. IL-1 alpha may regulate the proliferation and differentiation of keratinocytes after Sho-saiko-to treatment. These findings suggest that Sho-saiko-to enhances the autocrine growth mediated by IL-1 alpha.