Integrated analysis of effect of daisaikoto, a traditional Japanese medicine, on the metabolome and gut microbiome in a mouse model of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Dysregulation of lipid metabolism and diabetes are risk factors for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and the gut-liver axis and intestinal microbiome are known to be highly associated with the pathogenesis of this disease. In Japan, the traditional medicine daisaikoto (DST) is prescribed for individuals affected by hepatic dysfunction. Herein, we evaluated the therapeutic potential of DST for treating NAFLD through modification of the liver and stool metabolome and microbiome by using STAM mice as a model of NAFLD.

assessment of the inhibitory effect of goreisan extract and its ingredients on the P-glycoprotein drug transporter and cytochrome P-450 metabolic enzymes.

Kampo medicines are widely used in Japan; however, their potential to cause drug interactions still remains unclear and needs to be further investigated. The effects of goreisan on the P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and the cytochrome P-450 (CYP), which are associated with drug interactions, were investigated.The inhibitory effect of goreisan extract on P-gp was evaluated using a Caco-2 cell permeability assay.

Pharmacokinetic study of Ninjin'yoeito: Absorption and brain distribution of Ninjin'yoeito ingredients in mice.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Ninjin'yoeito (NYT), a Japanese traditional Kampo medicine, has been reported to exert various clinical benefits such as relief from fatigue, malaise, anorexia, frailty, sarcopenia, and cognitive dysfunction. Recently, some review articles described the pharmacological effects of NYT and additionally indicated the possibility that multiple ingredients in NYT contribute to these effects. However, pharmacokinetic data on the ingredients are essential in addition to data on their pharmacological activities to accurately determine the active ingredients in NYT.

Effects of maoto (ma-huang-tang) on host lipid mediator and transcriptome signature in influenza virus infection.

Maoto, a traditional kampo medicine, has been clinically prescribed for influenza infection and is reported to relieve symptoms and tissue damage. In this study, we evaluated the effects of maoto as an herbal multi-compound medicine on host responses in a mouse model of influenza infection. On the fifth day of oral administration to mice intranasally infected with influenza virus [A/PR/8/34 (H1N1)], maoto significantly improved survival rate, decreased viral titer, and ameliorated the infection-induced phenotype as compared with control mice.

LimeMap: a comprehensive map of lipid mediator metabolic pathways.

Lipid mediators are major factors in multiple biological functions and are strongly associated with disease. Recent lipidomics approaches have made it possible to analyze multiple metabolites and the associations of individual lipid mediators. Such systematic approaches have enabled us to identify key changes of biological relevance.

Use of a Caco-2 permeability assay to evaluate the effects of several Kampo medicines on the drug transporter P-glycoprotein.

In modern medical care in which Kampo and Western drugs are often combined, it is extremely important to clarify drug-drug interaction (DDI) to ensure safety and efficacy. However, there is little evidence of DDI in Kampo medicines. Therefore, as part of our studies to clarify the DDI risk for Kampo medicines, we evaluated the effects of five Kampo medicines [yokukansan (YKS), rikkunshito (RKT), shakuyakukanzoto (SKT), hangeshashinto (HST), and goshajinkigan (GJG)] that are widely used in Japan, on drug transporter P-glycoprotein (P-gp) using a Caco-2 permeability assay.

Daikenchuto (TU-100) shapes gut microbiota architecture and increases the production of ginsenoside metabolite compound K.

Many pharmaceutical agents not only require microbial metabolism for increased bioavailability and bioactivity, but also have direct effects on gut microbial assemblage and function. We examined the possibility that these actions are not mutually exclusive and may be mutually reinforcing in ways that enhance long-term of these agents. Daikenchuto, TU-100, is a traditional Japanese medicine containing ginseng.

Intestinal, portal, and peripheral profiles of daikenchuto (TU-100)'s active ingredients after oral administration.

A pharmaceutical grade Japanese traditional medicine, daikenchuto (TU-100), consisting of Japanese pepper, processed ginger, and ginseng, has been widely used for various intestinal disorders in Japan and now under development as a new therapeutic drug in the US. It is suggested that TU-100 ingredients exert pharmacological effects on intestines via two routes, from the luminal side before absorption and the peripheral blood stream after absorption. Therefore, in order to fully understand the pharmacological actions of TU-100, it is critically important to know the intraluminal amounts and forms of ingested TU-100 ingredients.

Effects of shakuyakukanzoto and its absorbed components on twitch contractions induced by physiological Ca2+ release in rat skeletal muscle.

Shakuyakukanzoto (SKT) is a kampo medicine composed of equal proportions of Glycyrrhizae radix (G. radix) and Paeoniae radix (P. radix).