Planta Med 2015; 81(02): 130-137
DOI: 10.1055/s-0034-1383411
Biological and Pharmacological Activity
Original Papers
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Polysaccharides of Dendrobium officinale Induce Aquaporin 5 Translocation by Activating M3 Muscarinic Receptors

Xiang Lin
1   School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
,
Jingyi Liu
1   School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
,
Wingyan Chung
1   School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
,
Stephen Cho-Wing Sze
1   School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
,
Haiyan Li
2   Foshan University, Department of Pharmacy, Foshan, China
3   Guangdong Guofang Medical Technology Co. Ltd., Dongguan, China
,
Lixing Lao
1   School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
,
Yanbo Zhang
1   School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
› Institutsangaben
Weitere Informationen

Publikationsverlauf

received 28. April 2014
revised 16. November 2014

accepted 22. November 2014

Publikationsdatum:
15. Januar 2015 (online)

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Abstract

Dendrobium officinale is an herbal medicine that has been clinically used to promote body fluid production. Previous works demonstrated that D. officinale polysaccharides could ameliorate symptoms of salivary secretion of patients with Sjögrenʼs syndrome and in a respective mice model. In the present study, we investigated the underlying mechanism by which D. officinale polysaccharides activate M3 muscarinic receptors and induce extracellular calcium influx, leading to the translocation of aquaporin 5, a water channel protein, to the apical membrane of human submandibular gland epithelial cells. Enzymatic treatment of D. officinale polysaccharides suggested that they are hydrolyzed but do not permeate cell membranes. This finding supports the pharmacological activity of D. officinale polysaccharides to promote salivary secretion.