Effects of traditional oriental medicine on influenza virus infection: Enhancing effect of traditional oriental medicines on antibody production to B strain after vaccination with influenza HA vaccine in aged mice

Abstract

Mao-Bushi-Saishin-To (MBST, Ma-Huang-Fu-Zi-Xin-Tang) and Hochu-Ekki-To (HET, Bu-Zhong-Yi-Qi-Tang), traditional oriental medicines, were orally administered to 1-year-old C3H/HeN female mice once a day for 5 days. The day after the last administration, the mice were vaccinated with 1 μl of commercial influenza HA vaccine subcutaneously. Three weeks later, the same quantity of vaccine was inoculated. After the 2nd inoculation, blood samples were collected from the jugular vein for 20 weeks, and HI titers to each vaccine strain were measured. In the MBST and HET administered group, the HI titer for B/Mie/1/93 was higher than that of the control group from 1 to 4 weeks after the 2nd inoculation, and it was significantly higher at 2 and 4 weeks after the 2nd inoculation. However, no significant differences were observed for A/Yamagata/32/89 and A/Wuhan/359/95 strains. From these results, it became clear that antibody production to the vaccine B strain was increased by oral administration of MBST or HET before influenza vaccination.