The inhibitory effect of common traditional anti-rheumatic herb formulas on prostaglandin E and interleukin 2 in vitro:: A comparative study with Tripterygium wilfordii

To understand the clinical efficacy of traditional anti-rheumatic herbal medicines on acute and severe arthritis or immune diseases, four herbal formulas and one herb were tested in vitro to determine their effects on prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and interleukin 2 (IL2). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy subjects were incubated with different concentrations of four herbal formulas including Shaur Yau Gan Tsao Tang (SYGTT), Shang Jong Shiah Tong Yong Tong Feng Wan (SJSTY), Shu Jin Lih An Saan (SJLAS), Ma Shing Yih Gan Tang (MSYGT) and one herb, Triptergium wilfordii (T2) with and without mitogen stimulation. PGE2 and IL2 from culture supernatant were measured by enzyme immunoassay. The results showed that SYGTT, SJSTY, SJLAS at concentration of 100 mu g and MSYGT at 500 mu g/ml can significantly inhibit PGE2 release (P < 0.05) from mononuclear cells. However, T2 at 2 mu g/ml expressed the same response. For the inhibition of IL2, the concentration of SYGTT, SJSTY and SJLAS must exceed 100 symbol mu g/ml. MSYGT failed to inhibit IL2 at even concentrations of 500 mu g/ml but T2 at a very low concentration (0.6 mu g/ml) could strongly inhibit it. The findings suggest that the majority of traditional anti-rheumatic herbal formulas or herbs, except for T2, should not be used to treat acute and critical arthritis or immune diseases. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.