Effects of Samchulkunbi-tang in Cultured Interstitial Cells of Cajal of Murine Small Intestine

We studied the modulation of pacemaker activities by Samchulkunbi-tang (SCKB) in cultured interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) from murine small intestine with the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. Externally applied SCKB produced membrane depolarization in the current-clamp mode. The pretreatment with $Ca^{2+}$-free solution and thapsigargin, a $Ca^{2+}$-ATPase inhibitor in endoplasmic reticulum, abolished the generation of pacemaker potentials and suppressed the SCKB-induced action. The application of flufenamic acid (a nonselective cation channel blocker) abolished the generation of pacemaker potentials by SCKB. However, the application of niflumic acid (a chloride channel blocker) did not inhibit the generation of pacemaker potentials by SCKB. In addition, the membrane depolarizations were inhibited by not only GDP-${\beta}$-S, which permanently binds G-binding proteins, but also U-73122, an active phospholipase C inhibitor. These results suggest that SCKB modulates the pacemaker activities by nonselective cation channels and external $Ca^{2+}$ influx and internal $Ca^{2+}$ release via G-protein and phospholipase C-dependent mechanism. Therefore, the ICC are targets for SCKB and their interaction can affect intestinal motility.