Effect of Bak Foong Pills on Exocrine Pancreatic-Bile Secretion

• Published in: Biological & Pharmaceutical Bulletin 2003, Vol.26(10), pp.1384-1387
• Main Authors: Tang, Ning, Zhu, Jin Xia, Zhao, Wen Chao, Xing, Ying, Gou, Yu Lin, Rowlands, Dewi Kenneth, Chung, Yiu Wa, Chan, Hsiao Chang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analysis; Analytical, structural and metabolic biochemistry; Animals; Bai Feng Wan; Bak Foong Pills; Bile - drug effects; Bile - metabolism; Bile Acids and Salts - metabolism; Bile Ducts - drug effects; Bile Ducts - metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; CAPAN-1; Cell Line; Drugs, Chinese Herbal - pharmacology; Exocrine Glands - drug effects; Exocrine Glands - metabolism; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General pharmacology; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; pancreas; Pancreatic Ducts - drug effects; Pancreatic Ducts - metabolism; Pancreatic Juice - drug effects; Pancreatic Juice - metabolism; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; rat; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; vagotomy
• ISSN: 0918-6158; 1347-5215
• DOI: 10.1248/bpb.26.1384

We have recently demonstrated that Bak Foong Pills (BFP), a well-known Chinese medicine widely used for treating gynecological disorders, stimulates human colonic epithelial anion secretion, which was mediated by intracellular cAMP and Ca2+. The present study further investigated the effect of BFP on exocrine pancreatic-bile secretion using in vivo and in vitro approaches. Duodenal infusion of BFP ethanol extract (1 g/kg) in rats produced increases in the volume and protein output of pancreatic-bile juice, but did not affect its pH. Surgical ablation of vagal neural pathway slightly reduced the effect of BFP on the protein output and volume, indicating that the vagal nerve pathway was not the major player in medicating the effect of BFP on exocrine pancreatic-bile secretion. Using CAPAN-1 cell line, a human pancreatic duct cell line, in conjunction with the short-circuit current (ISC) measurements, we further demonstrated that BFP could directly stimulate pancreatic HCO3− secretion. Basolateral addition of BFP (600 μg/ml) produced averaged charges transported of 2100±382.5 μC/cm2, which was blocked by apical addition of Cl− channel blocker. Removal of HCO3− from the Krebs–Henseleit (K–H) solution inhibited the BFP-induced ISC by more than 95%. The present results suggest that BFP could improve digestive function by stimulating pancreatic protein and HCO3− secretion.