• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.238-244
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• 2004

Objective : This study is intended to investigate whether the two oriental medical prescriptions, CheongGeumGangHwa-tang(CGGH) and GwaRuJiSil-tang(GRJS), significantly affect mucin release from cultured hamster tracheal surface epithelial(HTSE) cells. Materials and Methods : Confluent HTSE cells were metabolically radio labeled with 3H-glucosamine for 24 hrs and chased for 30 min in the presence of CGGH or GRJS to assess the effect of each agent on 3H-mucin release. Possible cytotoxicities of each agent were assessed by measuring lactate dehydrogenase(LDH) release. Also, the effects of CGGH and GRJS on contractility of isolated tracheal smooth muscle were investigated. Results : (1) CGGH and GRJS significantly increased mucin release from cultured HTSE cells, without cytotoxicity : (2) CGGH and GRJS did not affect contractility of isolated tracheal smooth muscle. Conclusions : These results suggest that the effects of CGGH and GRJS should be further investigated, and that it would be gainful to invesigate, from among oriental medical prescriptions, what novel agents have these mild expectorant effects on mucin secretion from airway goblet cells.