Hangekobokuto, a traditional Japanese herbal medicine, ameliorates postoperative ileus through its anti-inflammatory action.

Background/aims: Gastroprokinetic agents are used for patients with postoperative ileus (POI), and the Japanese traditional herbal medicine daikenchuto (DKT) is one such agent used in the clinical setting. POI is caused by inflammation. DKT and rikkunshito have anti-inflammatory abilities in addition to their gastroprokinetic effects.

Metabolic fingerprinting for discrimination of DNA-authenticated Atractylodes plants using H NMR spectroscopy.

Identifying different species of the genus Atractylodes which are commonly used in Chinese and Japanese traditional medicine, using chromatographic approaches can be difficult. H NMR metabolic profiling of DNA-authenticated, archived rhizomes of the genus Atractylodes was performed for genetic and chemical evaluation. The ITS region of the nuclear rDNA was sequenced for five species, A.

Development of a quantitative method for evaluating small intestinal motility using ultrasonography in mice.

Upper gastrointestinal (GI) motility is affected by various drugs and diseases. However, changes in upper GI motility during these conditions are not well understood, as there are few quantitative in vivo methods that assess small intestinal motility in mice. Ultrasonography is a noninvasive method for imaging and evaluating the condition of the abdominal organs.

Possible anti-inflammatory role of Zingiberis processum rhizoma, one component of the Kampo formula daikenchuto, against neutrophil infiltration through muscarinic acetylcholine receptor activation.

Zingiberis processum rhizoma (ZPR) is a major active component of daikenchuto (DKT), which induces anti-inflammatory action by inhibiting macrophage infiltration. However, it is unclear whether ZPR is related to DKT-induced anti-inflammatory action via a reduction of neutrophil infiltration against postoperative ileus (POI). In this study, we orally administered individual herbal components of DKT to mice four times before and after intestinal manipulation (IM).

Therapeutic Action of Honokiol on Postoperative Ileus via Downregulation of iNOS Gene Expression.

Postoperative ileus is a common complication after intra-abdominal surgery. Nitric oxide produced by macrophages in the inflamed gastrointestinal tract plays a crucial role in the pathogeny of postoperative ileus. Honokiol, extracted from the bark of Magnolia spp.

Rikkunshito, a Kampo medicine, ameliorates post-operative ileus by anti-inflammatory action.

Rikkunshito (RKT), a Kampo (Japanese herbal) medicine, is used as a prokinetic for patients with various diseases including functional dyspepsia. RKT promotes delayed gastric emptying via 5-HT3 receptor blockade. Otherwise, RKT increases ghrelin release via 5-HT2B and 5-HT2C receptor activation.

The (13)C-butyrate breath test: a new non-invasive method for assessing colitis in a murine model.

The conventional method for the real-time assessment of murine colitis requires a large number of animals. The (13)C-butyrate breath test could be useful for evaluating disease activity and the amelioration of human ulcerative colitis non-invasively. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether this test can be used to assess the phase of inflammation in murine colitis.

Daikenchuto, a traditional Japanese herbal medicine, ameliorates postoperative ileus by anti-inflammatory action through nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.

Background: Daikenchuto (DKT), a gastrointestinal prokinetic Japanese herbal medicine, is prescribed for patients with postoperative ileus (POI) and adhesive bowel obstruction following abdominal surgery. Several mechanisms for the amelioration of POI by DKT have been suggested; however, it has remained unclear whether DKT shows anti-inflammatory effects in POI. In the present study, we investigated the effects of DKT in a mouse POI model and attempted to clarify the detailed mechanisms of action.

Go-rei-San, a Kampo medicine, reduces postoperative nausea and vomiting: a prospective, single-blind, randomized trial.

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of Go-rei-San (GRS), a Kampo medicine, in the treatment of postoperative nausea, vomiting, or both nausea and vomiting (PONV).

Design: The study was a randomized, controlled, single-blind study of two groups of adult female patients who were scheduled to undergo benign gynecological laparoscopic surgery under general anesthesia. Patients in each group possessed an American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status of 1 (normal, healthy patient) to 2 (patient with a mild systemic disease).

Involvement of neuropeptide Y signaling in the antidepressant-like effect and hippocampal cell proliferation induced by kososan, a Kampo medicine, in the stress-induced depression-like model mice.

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) and Orexin-A (OX-A), well-known neuropeptides associated with feeding and arousal, show antidepressant-like properties via hippocampal cell proliferation. Previous studies have revealed that kososan, a Kampo (Japanese herbal) medicine, has an antidepressant-like effect in behavioral animal models of depression; the mechanisms underlying this effect may involve the orexinergic system and subsequent upregulation of hippocampal cell proliferation. However, the roles of NPY in kososan's antidepressant-like effect remain unclear.

Discrepancy between clinical course and drug-induced lymphocyte stimulation tests in a case of saireito-induced liver injury accompanied by Sjögren syndrome.

Background: Saireito consists of components of shosaikoto and goreisan. There are several reports of liver injury caused by shosaikoto and saireito, whereas cases caused by goreisan are rarely seen.

Patient: A 70-year-old woman suffered from sicca of the eyes and oral cavity that arose in 2003.

A possible mechanism underlying an antidepressive-like effect of Kososan, a Kampo medicine, via the hypothalamic orexinergic system in the stress-induced depression-like model mice.

Kososan, a Kampo (Japanese herbal) medicine, has an antidepressive-like effect in behavioral animal models of depression and has been used clinically for the improvement of depressive mood. However, mechanism(s) underlying the antidepressive-like effect of kososan remain unknown. Previous studies showed that orexin-A (OX-A), a neuropeptide that is involved in feeding and arousal, exhibits an antidepressive-like property via hippocampal cell proliferation.

The utility of noninvasive (13)C-acetate breath test using a new solid test meal to measure gastric emptying in mice.

In clinical and experimental settings, the (13)C breath test is performed to measure gastric emptying and has advantages of noninvasiveness and repeatability. We intended to apply the (13)C breath test method to mice with an easy-to-handle solid test meal that is more physiological than liquid meals. Male ddY mice were trained to eat (13)C-acetate-containing pellets as the solid test meal.

Hangekobokuto (Banxia-houpo-tang), a Kampo Medicine that Treats Functional Dyspepsia.

Although abdominal bloating is one of the most bothersome symptoms experienced by patients with functional dyspepsia (FD), therapeutic drugs to relieve abdominal bloating have not been established. We investigated the Kampo (Chinese herbal) medicine, Hangekobokuto (Banxia-houpo-tang, HKT) for patients with FD from the standpoint of bowel gas retention. The bowel gas volume calculated from a plain abdominal radiogram (gas volume score, GVS) in FD patients was significantly higher than that in healthy subjects.

Clinical efficacy of Kampo medicine (Japanese traditional herbal medicine) in the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea.

Objective: We intended to evaluate the clinical efficacy of Kampo medicine, a Japanese traditional herbal medicine, for primary dysmenorrhea which was prescribed according to the Kampo diagnosis, with classification of its severity.

Method: A retrospective evaluation of Kampo treatment in 176 subjects with dysmenorrhea during the previous 12 years was performed. In order to minimize the subjective discretion of the severity of symptoms, classification of the severity level of abdominal pain during menstruation was applied by considering the requirement for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and disturbance of daily activities.

Rosmarinic acid from Perillae Herba produces an antidepressant-like effect in mice through cell proliferation in the hippocampus.

Rosmarinic acid (RA) is one of major polyphenolic ingredients of Perillae Herba (a leaf of Perilla frutescens), and has an antidepressant-like property in animal models of depression. However, the mechanism(s) underlying this activity are unknown. Recent studies have reported that regulation of hippocampal neurogenesis is associated with the pathogenesis of depression.

Effects of goshuyuto on lateralization of pupillary dynamics in headache.

Autonomic nervous imbalance is implicated in chronic headache. We investigated the effects of goshuyuto-a representative Kampo medicine for headache-on the lateralization of the pupillary autonomic nervous system by using binocular infrared video pupillography. Patients with chronic headache were administered goshuyuto extract for 1 month (1st stage).