The Effect of Yangkyuk-Sanhwa-Tang on Cytokine Production in the Patients with Cerebral Infarction

중풍환자에서 양격산화탕에 의한 세포활성 물질 생성의 조절 효과

Yangkyuk-Sanhwa-Tang(YST) has been widely used as a formula for the Soyangin cerebral infarction (CI) patients according to Sasang constitutional philosophy. Brain cells produce cytokines and chemokines during the inflammatory process after stroke both in animal models and in patients. Previously, regulation of serum cytokine levels by YSThas been observed in individuals at the acute stage of CI disease, but there have not been other scientific investigations on YST. The author investigated the effect of YST on theproduction of various cytokines using peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs)from the Soyangin (CI) patients, and Soyangin normal group. The cytokine production was analyzed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The amount of interleukin (IL)-1, IL-1, IL-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)- in culture supernatant significantly increased in the LPS-treated cells compared with unstimulated-cells (P < 0.05). However, in LPS-stimulated PBMCs, cytokines level in CI patients group was higher than that of normal group. YST (1 mg/ml) significantly inhibited IL-1, IL-1, and IL-8 production in PBMCs stimulated with LPS (about 85% for IL-1, 87% for IL-1, and 53% for IL-8, P < 0.05), but did not significantly inhibit IL-6 and TNF- production in the CI patients group. We also show that YST significantly increased LPS-induced IL-1, IL-6, and TNF- production in the normal group. Thesedata suggest that YST has a regulatoryeffect on the cytokine production, which might explain its beneficial effect in the treatment of CI.