Time-, Sex-, and Dose-Dependent Alterations of the Gut Microbiota by Consumption of Dietary Daikenchuto (TU-100).

Medications or dietary components can affect both the host and the host's gut microbiota. Changes in the microbiota may influence medication efficacy and interactions. Daikenchuto (TU-100), a herbal medication, comprised of ginger, ginseng, and Japanese pepper, is widely used in Japanese traditional Kampo medicine for intestinal motility and postoperative paralytic ileus.

Deconstructing the traditional Japanese medicine "Kampo": compounds, metabolites and pharmacological profile of maoto, a remedy for flu-like symptoms.

Pharmacological activities of the traditional Japanese herbal medicine (Kampo) are putatively mediated by complex interactions between multiple herbal compounds and host factors, which are difficult to characterize via the reductive approach of purifying major bioactive compounds and elucidating their mechanisms by conventional pharmacology. Here, we performed comprehensive compound, pharmacological and metabolomic analyses of maoto, a pharmaceutical-grade Kampo prescribed for flu-like symptoms, in normal and polyI:C-injected rats, the latter suffering from acute inflammation via Toll-like receptor 3 activation. In total, 352 chemical composition-determined compounds (CCDs) were detected in maoto extract by mass spectrometric analysis.

Yokukansan and Yokukansankachimpihange Ameliorate Aggressive Behaviors in Rats with Cholinergic Degeneration in the Nucleus Basalis of Meynert.

Yokukansan (YKS) and yokukansankachimpihange (YKSCH) are traditional Japanese Kampo medicines. The latter comprises YKS along with the medicinal herbs peel and tuber. Both of these Kampo medicines are indicated for the treatment of night crying and irritability in children and for neurosis and insomnia in adults.

Distribution Analysis via Mass Spectrometry Imaging of Ephedrine in the Lungs of Rats Orally Administered the Japanese Kampo Medicine Maoto.

Maoto, a traditional Japanese Kampo medicine, has been used to treat various respiratory diseases, including respiratory infections and influenza. Ephedrine (EPD), the main ingredient in maoto, is also clinically used to treat respiratory diseases. However, the pharmacokinetics and distribution of EPD in the lungs after the administration of maoto have not been demonstrated.

Development of ghrelin resistance in a cancer cachexia rat model using human gastric cancer-derived 85As2 cells and the palliative effects of the Kampo medicine rikkunshito on the model.

Cancer cachexia (CC) is a multifactorial disease characterized by decreased food intake and loss of body weight due to reduced musculature with or without loss of fat mass. Patients with gastric cancer have a high incidence of cachexia. We previously established a novel CC rat model induced by human gastric cancer-derived 85As2 cells in order to examine the pathophysiology of CC and identify potential therapeutics.

[6]-gingerol and [6]-shogaol, active ingredients of the traditional Japanese medicine hangeshashinto, relief oral ulcerative mucositis-induced pain via action on Na channels.

The traditional Japanese herbal medicine hangeshashinto (HST) has beneficial effects for the treatment of oral ulcerative mucositis (OUM) in cancer patients. However, the ingredient-based mechanism that underlies its pain-relieving activity remains unknown. In the present study, to clarify the analgesic mechanism of HST on OUM-induced pain, we investigated putative HST ingredients showing antagonistic effects on Na channels in vitro and in vivo.

An effective therapeutic approach for oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy using a combination therapy with goshajinkigan and bushi.

Oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy (OIPN) occurs at extraordinarily high frequency, but no effective treatment for this disorder has been established. Goshajinkigan (GJG), a traditional Japanese medicine known as Kampo, is known to reduce OIPN in both basic and clinical studies. However, its molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown.

Keishibukuryogan is not carcinogenic in Sprague-Dawley rats.

Keishibukuryogan is a traditional Japanese medicine widely administered to patients with menopausal symptoms. Because humans use it on a long-term basis, we believed that a carcinogenicity study was warranted. We orally administered keishibukuryogan (TJ-25) extract powder to 6-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats [Crl:CD(SD)], which were divided into four dosage groups-0 (water for injection), 100, 500 and 2,500 mg/kg/day for 24 months.

The traditional Japanese medicine hangeshashinto alleviates oral ulcer-induced pain in a rat model.

Objective: Recent studies have demonstrated that mouthwash made with the traditional Japanese medicine hangeshashinto exhibits anti-inflammatory action and alleviates oral mucositis scores, including pain complaints, in patients undergoing chemoradiotherapy. However, no study has demonstrated the mechanism underlying how hangeshashinto provides pain relief in oral ulcers.

Design: The analgesic effects on pain-related behaviors following the topical application of hangeshashinto were evaluated in an oral ulcer rat model treated with acetic acid using recently developed methods.

Yokukansan, a Traditional Japanese Medicine, Enhances the L-DOPA-Induced Rotational Response in 6-Hydroxydopamine-Lesioned Rats: Possible Inhibition of COMT.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of the traditional Japanese medicine yokukansan (YKS) on the function of dopamine (DA) in the rat nigrostriatal system. Unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine lesions were produced in the rat nigrostriatal system. Despite a marked loss in the striatal immunoreactivity of tyrosine hydroxylase on the lesion side, striatal serotonin (5-HT) immunoreactivity was not affected.

Boiogito, a Kampo medicine, improves hydrarthrosis in a rat model of knee osteoarthritis.

Background: Hydrarthrosis, which is associated with knee pain and limited range of motion, decreases the quality of life (QOL) of patients with osteoarthritis (OA). The Kampo medicine boiogito is prescribed for the treatment of knee OA with hydrarthrosis; however, its precise mechanisms of action remain unknown. The purposes of this study were to assess the pharmacological effects of boiogito and its mechanisms of action on joint effusion in rats with surgically induced OA.

Yokukansan Increases 5-HT1A Receptors in the Prefrontal Cortex and Enhances 5-HT1A Receptor Agonist-Induced Behavioral Responses in Socially Isolated Mice.

The traditional Japanese medicine yokukansan has an anxiolytic effect, which occurs after repeated administration. In this study, to investigate the underlying mechanisms, we examined the effects of repeated yokukansan administration on serotonin 1A (5-HT1A) receptor density and affinity and its expression at both mRNA and protein levels in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of socially isolated mice. Moreover, we examined the effects of yokukansan on a 5-HT1A receptor-mediated behavioral response.

Preventive effect of oral goshajinkigan on chronic oxaliplatin-induced hypoesthesia in rats.

Oxaliplatin, a widely used chemotherapeutic agent, induces peripheral neuropathy that manifests itself as two distinct phases: acute cold hyperesthesia and chronic peripheral hypoesthesia/dysesthesia. The latter is a serious dose-limiting side effect that can often lead to withdrawal of treatment. We have developed a rat model expressing both phases and used the model to investigate the action of goshajinkigan (GJG), a traditional Japanese herbal medicine, which was reported to ameliorate oxaliplatin-induced neuropathy in a placebo-controlled double-blind randomized phase II study.

Plasma Pharmacokinetics of Polyphenols in a Traditional Japanese Medicine, Jumihaidokuto, Which Suppresses Propionibacterium acnes-Induced Dermatitis in Rats.

Most orally administered polyphenols are metabolized, with very little absorbed as aglycones and/or unchanged forms. Metabolic and pharmacokinetic studies are therefore necessary to understand the pharmacological mechanisms of polyphenols. Jumihaidokuto (JHT), a traditional Japanese medicine, has been used for treatment of skin diseases including inflammatory acne.

Keishibukuryogan, a Traditional Japanese Medicine, Inhibits Platelet Aggregation in Guinea Pig Whole Blood.

Effects of keishibukuryogan (KBG) on platelet aggregation were investigated. To ensure the specificity of KBG, tokishakuyakusan (TSS) and kamisyoyosan (KSS), which are known to have platelet aggregation-inhibiting effects, and rikkunshito (RKT) and shakuyakukanzoto (SKT), which are considered to be devoid of such effects, were used for comparison. The platelet aggregation of each test drug was measured by the screen filtration pressure method using whole blood of guinea pigs and expressed as a collagen-induced pressure rate (%) or a collagen concentration required for 50% increase in the pressure rate (PATI value).

In vitro identification of human cytochrome P450 isoforms involved in the metabolism of Geissoschizine methyl ether, an active component of the traditional Japanese medicine Yokukansan.

1. Yokukansan (YKS) is a traditional Japanese medicine also called kampo, which has been used to treat neurosis, insomnia, and night crying and peevishness in children. Geissoschizine methyl ether (GM), a major indole alkaloid found in Uncaria hook, has been identified as a major active component of YKS with psychotropic effects.

Complementary and synergistic therapeutic effects of compounds found in Kampo medicine: analysis of daikenchuto.

Herbal medicines have been used in Japan for more than 1500 years and traditional Japanese medicines (Kampo medicines) are now fully integrated into the modern healthcare system. In total, 148 Kampo formulae are officially approved as prescription drugs and covered by the national health insurance system in Japan. However, despite their long track record of clinical use, the multi-targeted, multi-component properties of Kampo medicines, which are fundamentally different from Western medicines, have made it difficult to create a suitable framework for conducting well-designed, large-scale clinical trials.

Pharmacokinetic Profiles of Active Components After Oral Administration of a Kampo Medicine, Shakuyakukanzoto, to Healthy Adult Japanese Volunteers.

Shakuyakukanzoto (SKT), a traditional Japanese (Kampo) medicine, has been used by patients with muscle cramps and abdominal pains. In this trial, we analyzed plasma concentrations of active components after SKT was administered as a single oral dose of 2.5 or 5.

Effects of Hangeshashinto on Growth of Oral Microorganisms.

Oral mucositis (OM) in cancer patients induced by chemotherapy or radiotherapy has a significant impact on quality of life, and causes considerable morbidity. Oral microorganisms are likely to intensify the inflammatory process and aggravate the formation of ulcers. Hangeshashinto (HST), a Japanese kampo medicine, has been reported to be effective when used as a gargle for the treatment of OM.

Analysis of the antioxidative function of the radioprotective Japanese traditional (Kampo) medicine, hangeshashinto, in an aqueous phase.

Oral mucositis (OM) is a common and painful complication of radiotherapy for head and neck cancer. Hangeshashinto (HST), a Japanese traditional medicine, is known to alleviate radiotherapy- and/or chemotherapy-induced OM; however, the detailed mechanism has not yet been clarified. The aim of the present study was to clarify the details of the antioxidative functions of HST against reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by radiation.

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).

Yokukansan, a traditional Japanese medicine, decreases head-twitch behaviors and serotonin 2A receptors in the prefrontal cortex of isolation-stressed mice.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Yokukansan, a traditional Japanese (Kampo) medicine, has recently been used to treat the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), including aggressiveness, excitability, and hallucination. The present study was designed to investigate the mechanisms underlying the ameliorative effects of yokukansan on BPSD using animals exhibiting hallucination-like behaviors. For this purpose, we initially examined whether chronic isolation stress increases the frequency of hallucination in response to a psychedelic drug.

Inhibition of Rat 5α-Reductase Activity and Testosterone-Induced Sebum Synthesis in Hamster Sebocytes by an Extract of Quercus acutissima Cortex.

Objective. Bokusoku (BK) is an extract from the Quercus cortex used in folk medicine for treatment of skin disorders and convergence, and is present in jumihaidokuto, a traditional Japanese medicine that is prescribed for purulent skin diseases like acne vulgaris. The excess of sebum production induced by androgen is involved in the development of acne.

Metabolic profiling of the Uncaria hook alkaloid geissoschizine methyl ether in rat and human liver microsomes using high-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry.

Geissoschizine methyl ether (GM) is an indole alkaloid found in Uncaria hook, which is a galenical constituent of yokukansan, a traditional Japanese medicine. GM has been identified as the active component responsible for anti-aggressive effects. In this study, the metabolic profiling of GM in rat and human liver microsomes was investigated.