An optimal in vitro model for evaluating anaphylactoid mediator release induced by herbal medicine injection

Abstract

The Xue-Sai-Tong injection, a traditional Chinese medicine injection with total saponins extracted from Sanqi Ginseng, was used to treat coronary artery disease. Adverse drug reaction of the injection occurred frequently in recent years. This study was to establish an in vitro model for assaying the mediator release from the degranulation of mast cell and RBL-2H3 cells stimulated by herbal medicine injection. Mediators released from mast cells and RBL-2H3 cells caused by Xue-Sai-Tong injections were assayed by the method of fluorospec-trophotometry, ELISA and spectrophotometry respectively. It revealed that histamine release induced by XST injection could not be assayed accurately by the method of fluorospectrophotometry owing to the existence of saponin and unknown components in the injection. Rat peritoneal mast cells was also not an optimal cell model for determining histamine and β-hexosaminidase release due to the higher spontaneous release rate of allergic mediator. So, ELISA could be the suitable method to evaluate the histamine release from RBL-2H3 cells, and this method could also be utilized in evaluating degranulation of herbal medicine injection. © Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2014.