Taurine as a Marker for the Identification of Natural Calculus Bovis and Its Substitutes - Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology - page 137

Fig. 15.1 In fl uence of natural C . Bovis and its substitutes on cardiac fibroblast viability. Cells
were incubated for 1 h with medium containing 0.25 mg/ml sample extracts. Values are expressed
as percent of control, in which the control cells were untreated. Data represent means ± S.E.
obtained from 15 to 29 samples from triplicate experiments. ** p < 0.01 and * p < 0.05 compared
with control

15.3 Results and Discussion

15.3.1 The Biological Effects of Natural C . Bovis and Its

Substitutes on the Morphology of Cultured Fibroblasts

C . Bovis is a common animal-derived therapeutic preparation often used as a cardio-
tonic, an antipyretic, an antispasmodic, an antidote, and a child sedative. As we
reported previously, of the 230 cardioactive OTC drugs, 228 (98.7%) contain
C . Bovis in Japan (Takahashi et al. 2008 ). In order to ascertain the biological differ-
ences of natural C . Bovis from its substitutes, we investigated their effects on cultured
cardiac fibroblasts using the MTS assay. As shown in Fig. 15.1 , although 0.25 mg/ml
of natural C . Bovis (Aus-1) did not affect fibroblast viability, substitutes (Art-1, Cul-1,
Cul-2) decreased cell viability approximately 10% after 1-h incubation.

15.3.2 The Organic Composition of Natural C . Bovis

and Its Substitutes

In order to investigate differences in organic composition between C . Bovis and its
substitutes, bile acids, such as cholic acid, taurocholic acid, and deoxycholic acid,
were measured. Although cholic acid accounts for less than 40% of bile acid con-
tent in natural C . Bovis samples (Aus-1, Aus-2, Brazil, Mexico, Kenya, and China),