Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2003 Jan-Feb; 21(1): 57-62.

Clinical and immunomodulatory effects of fun-boi, an herbal medicine, on collagen-induced arthritis in vivo.

Niizawa A, Kogure T, Hai LX, Fujinaga H, Takahashi K, Shimada Y, Terasawa K.

Department of Japanese Oriental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Toyama, Japan. niizawa@kmh.kanebo.co.jp

OBJECTIVE: Crude preparations of Fun-boi (Stephania tetrandra), a traditional antirheumatic herb, have been reported to have immunomodulatory effects on both cell-mediated and humoral immunity in vitro, but little is known about the mode of action in vivo. The objective of this study was therefore to evaluate the efficacy of Fun-boi against arthritis and its effect on the immune system. METHODS: Mice were divided into the following 3 groups of 7 mice each: 1) a normal group, not treated to cause collagen-induced arthritis (CIA), received water orally; 2) a control group with CIA received water orally; and 3) the Fun-boi group with CIA, received Fun-boi (3 mg/g body weight/day) orally. We analyzed the arthritis score, the serum anti-type II collagen (CII) antibody level, and the percentage of the following lymphocyte subsets from lymphoid organs: B220, CD3/CD4, CD3/CD8 and CD40L/CD4 lymphocytes from blood or lymph nodes; and CD4-CD8-, CD4+CD8+, CD4+CD8- and CD4-CD8+ from the thymus. RESULTS: Fun-boi therapy markedly reduced the severity of arthritis (p < 0.001) and tended to reduce the serum anti-CII antibody level (p = 0.06). Whereas CII immunization of DBA/1J mice caused a significant redistribution of CD3/CD8 lymphocytes from blood or lymph nodes, Fun-boi therapy caused significant normalization of the same types of lymphocyte subsets from lymph nodes, but did not affect the CD4 or CD4/CD40L lymphocyte subsets. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that Fun-boi therapy exerts therapeutic effects in CIA mice, possibly by causing immunomodulatory effects at specific sites.