Alleviative Effects of a Kampo (a Japanese Herbal) Medicine "Maoto (Ma-Huang-Tang)" on the Early Phase of Influenza Virus Infection and Its Possible Mode of Action.

Takayuki Nagai,Hiroaki Kiyohara,Erika Kataoka,Yuka Aoki,Rei Hokari,Haruki Yamada

doi:10.1155/2014/187036

Takayuki Nagai, Hiroaki Kiyohara + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/187036

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Abstract

A Kampo medicine, maoto, has been prescribed in an early phase of influenza-like illness and used for a treatment of influenza clinically in Japan these days. However, the efficacy of maoto against the virus infection remains to be elucidated. This study was conducted to evaluate the alleviative effects of maoto against early phase of influenza virus infection and its preliminary mode of actions through immune systems. When maoto (0.9 and 1.6 g/kg/day) was orally administered to A/J mice on upper respiratory tract infection of influenza virus A/PR/8/34 from 4 hours to 52 hours postinfection (p.i.) significant antipyretic effect was shown in comparison with water-treated control. Administration of maoto (0.8 and 1.3 g/kg/day) significantly decreased the virus titers in both nasal (NLF) and bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALF) at 52 hours p.i., and significantly increased the anti-influenza virus IgM, IgA, and IgG1 antibody titers in NLF, BALF, and serum, respectively. Maoto also increased significantly the influenza virus-bound IgG1 and IgM antibody titers in serum and the virus-bound IgM antibody titer in even the BALF of uninfected A/J mice. These results indicate that maoto exerts antipyretic activity in influenza virus-infected mice and virus reducing effect at an early phase of the infection through probably augmentation of the virus-bound natural antibodies.

Highlights

Maoto (Ma-Huang-Tang in Chinese) is one of Kampo medicines, composed of 4 medicinal herbs, Ephedrae Herba, Cinnamomi Cortex, Armeniacae Semen, and Glycyrrhizae Radix [1]
It has been reported that lower respiratory tract influenza virus infection results in transient fever production in mice [24, 25]
The results demonstrated that maoto extract shows only weak anti-influenza virus activity in Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells at the concentration of 400 μg/mL (Figure 2), suggesting that maoto extract shows negligible direct anti-influenza virus action

Summary

Introduction

Maoto (Ma-Huang-Tang in Chinese) is one of Kampo (traditional Japanese herbal) medicines, composed of 4 medicinal herbs, Ephedrae Herba (stem of Ephedra sinica Staph), Cinnamomi Cortex (bark of Cinnamomum cassia Blume), Armeniacae Semen (kernel of Prunus armeniaca Linne), and Glycyrrhizae Radix (root of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisher) [1]. Maoto has been reported to have antipyretic effect in pediatric patients [2, 3] and adult patients with type A influenza virus infection [4]. The anti-influenza virus activity of maoto has not yet been reported. Among the component herbs of maoto, Ephedrae Herba extract (100–400 μg/mL) has been reported to inhibit the growth of influenza virus A/PR/8/34 (H1N1) by direct addition to the cultures of infected MDCK cells owing to suppression of acidification of cellular compartments such as endosomes and lysosomes essential for the uncoating process of influenza virus [5]. Oral in vivo anti-influenza virus activities have not been known in these compounds

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