Effects of the Chinese herbal medicines Bupleuri radix, Ginseng radix, and Zingiberis rhizoma on lymphatic vessel activity in rats

The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of the Chinese herbal medicines Bupleuri radix, Ginseng radix and Zingiberis rhizoma on spontaneous lymphatic vessel activity. The effect of each herbal medicine on in vivo lymphatic flow was examined by injection of dye into the femoral regions of rats after feeding with the herbal medicines. In an in vitro study, spontaneous changes in diameter of the rat thoracic duct were monitored, and each segment was exposed to each herbal medicine. In the in vivo study, 100% of the right iliac lymphatic node were positively stained in the herbal medicine group, whereas only 40% of the node were positively stained in the control group. In the in vitro study, Bupleuri radix and Ginseng radix increased the amplitude of spontaneous activity of lymphatic vessels in a concentration-dependent manner with or without L-NAME, an NO synthase inhibitor. The results indicated that the herbal medicines Bupleuri radix and Ginseng radix activated spontaneous lymphatic vasomotion and lymph flow, and the mechanisms of this effect seem to be independent of endothelial cells.