Modulation of chemokine expression on intestinal epithelial cells by Kampo (traditional Japanese herbal) medicine, Hochuekkito, and its active ingredients

The intestinal epithelial cells sit at the interface between a lumen and a lamina propria or lymph nodes such as Peyer's patches, where they play important roles in maintaining intestinal homeostasis through chemokine secretion. This study investigated the effect of Hochuekkito (TJ-41)-a traditional Japanese herbal (Kampo) formula used as a tonic for weakness-on chemokine expression in intestinal epithelial cells in order to explore the mechanism of its modulating effect against mucosal immunity. When cells from the rat normal small intestinal epithelial cell-line IEC-6 were stimulated with TJ-41, mRNA expression of CC chemokine ligand (CCL) 11 (eotaxin), CCL20 (MIP-3 alpha) and CCL25 (TECK) was enhanced. Oral administration of TJ-41 to methotrexate-treated mice enhanced mRNA expression of CCL25 and keratinocyte growth factor in the jejunum with, decreasing mRNA expression of the inflammatory marker tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha. Although oral administration of TJ-41 did not affect CCL20 mRNA expression in villus epithelium of methotrexate-treated mice, enhancement of CCL20 mRNA expression was observed in Peyer's patches. Immunohistochemical analysis detected dense staining with anti-CCL20 antibody in the follicle-associated epithelium region of Peyer's patches in mice administered TJ-41. Analysis of active ingredients indicates that polysaccharide-containing macromolecules in TJ-41 contribute to the enhancement of CCL20 mRNA expression through an intracellular signal cascade via nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappa B) activation.