抄録
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has received much attention as a source of novel therapeutic agents due to their multiple beneficial effects and absence of toxic and/or side effects. TCM influences changes at multi-system and multi-organ levels. However, there has been virtually no attempt to logically analyze multi-target strategies in TCM. In this review, we have summarized the therapeutic evidence for Kangen-karyu, one of our major interests among TCM agents, from pre-clinical animal experiments related to several human diseases. These pre-clinical experimental results provide scientific evidence that may explain the efficacy of TCM at multi-organ levels and may also help to identify the common mechanism underlying the therapeutic effects against distinct diseases. The beneficial effect of Kangen-karyu on cardiovascular diseases is related to the suppression of platelet aggregation. Kangen-karyu showed beneficial effects on type 1 diabetes and related complications through the suppression of protein expressions related to advanced glycation endproducts and oxidative stress. Also, Kangen-karyu exerts its renoprotective potential mainly through its antioxidant properties during the development of diabetic nephropathy in type 2 diabetes. Kangen-karyu showed neuroprotective effects by attenuating elevation of the blood pressure and the development of cerebral ischemia, and preventing the spatial memory impairment and neuronal death induced by repeated cerebral ischemia by increasing cerebral blood flow. Kangen-karyu counteracts oxidative stress and ameliorates tissue damage possibly associated with aging. Taken together, the therapeutic effects of Kangen-karyu at multi-system and multi-organ levels are closely related to the regulation of blood flow and oxidative stress.
