Effect of TJ-96, an anti-allergic herbal medicine, on tracheal transepithelial potential difference in vivo

We studied the effect of Saiboku-to (TJ-96), an anti-allergic herbal medicine, on transepithelial potential difference of rabbit trachea and possible involvement of nitric oxide (NO) generation in vivo. Perfusion of TJ-96 on the tracheal mucosal surface increased PD in a concentration-dependent manner, the maximal increase from the baseline level and the concentration of TJ-96 required to produce a half-maximal effect (EC50) being 8.1 +/- 1.4 mV (mean +/- SE, P < 0.001) and 47 micrograms/ml. This effect was abolished by pretreatment with the Na channel blocker amiloride. NG-nitro-L-arginine methylester (L-NAME) but not NG-nitro-D-arginine methylester (D-NAME) inhibited TJ-96-induced increase in PD, and this inhibition was selectively reversed by L-arginine. These results suggest that TJ-96 stimulates Na absorption by airway epithelial cells probably through NO generation.