Twenty-two patients with chronic glomerulonephritis were treated with Sairei-to (7.5g/day), either alone or in combination with camostat mesilate (600mg/day), to determine the efficacy and adverse effects of these regimens. Although there was significant improvement in proteinuria (p<0.05) after 8 weeks of treatment with Sairei-to alone, this was not longlasting. Combination therapy resulted in sustained significant improvement (p<0.03; there were two dropouts). No adverse effects were seen with either regimen. The results suggest that combination therapy using Sairei-to and camostat mesilate may be a safe and efficacious method of treatment for patients with chronic glomerulonephritis.

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Although the crude drug Rhei Rhizoma (Chinese: Da-huang; Japanese: Daio) is now commonly employed as a purgative, some question remains as to whether it was originally used as a depurative (purifying agent; specifically an agent for expelling Stagnated Blood) or purgative in ancient times. There is also some confusion as to the medicinal part of the crude drug being sold on the market. This herbological study was carried out in order to clarify these issues.
The results showed that Rhei Rhizoma was originally used mainly as an agent to expel Stagnated Blood, although it was also used for its purgative and other properties. Until the Qing dynasty, the rhizome of the large Rheum species, including R. palmatum, was known as the best quality Da-huang. The recent use of the root is thought to be due to recognition of the purgative properties of Da-huang.
Da-huang has many medicinal properties in addition to its usefulness as a purgative, and there is a need for further study of these properties as well as the differences between the pharmacological actions of the rhizome and those of the root.

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In the classical Oriental medical texts the “Shang Han Lun” and the “Jin Kui Yao Lue”, no clear distinction is made between Atractylodes japonica and Atractylodes lancea. Even today, no sharp critical distinction is made between the usage of these crude drugs in Kampo formulas. The authors have attempted to elucidate the differences in their clinical effect by investigating the way patients reacted when the two crude drugs were interchanged in Kampo formulas the patients were taking.
It was found that Atractylodes lancea was more effective than Atractylodes japonica for patients with arthralgia. Of the effective cases, 60% reported that the formula had a pleasant taste, while 9% reported it tasted bad. This suggested that taste may play a significant role in patient's responses to Kampo formulas.

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Patients with acne vulgaris which could not be sufficiently controlled with antibiotics (tetracycline), or who had been receiving treatment for a prolonged period were selected for treatment with Kampo medicine. Patients in whom joint use of Kampo resulted in a decrease in blemishes, patients who were able to reduce the amount of antibiotics required or stop antibiotics altogether and patients who improved with Kampo alone were grouped according to the Kampo formula being taken. The formulas Seijobofu-to, Jumihaidoku-to and Keishibuuryo-gan proved to be effective. The patients in these groups were found to have certain characteristics in common. In particular, almost all of the cases with adult acne (25 years of age or older) had the symptoms of cold hands and feet, stiff shoulders, menorrhalgia, worsening of the condition before the menstrual period and other symptoms associated with Stagnated Blood. Formulas known as ‘agents for expelling Stagnated Blood’ (Kuoketsuzai), particularly Keishibukuryo-gan, were found to be effective.

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In this paper, the authors report four case studies of patients with chronic asthma who improved with the administration of Hachimijio-gan (in pill form). The patients involved were three women aged 63, 57 and 41, and one man, aged 42.
In all of the cases, asthma attacks began in adulthood and occurred perennially. They were classified into three grades of severity: patient 1-mild; patient 2-moderate; patients 3 and 4-severe. The standard indications for usage (Sho) in Kampo medicine were confirmed in all four cases. The asthmatic state of patient 1 improved with administration of Hachimi-jio-gan M (Uchida Wakanyaku Inc.), but produced no response in the other three patients. However, when Hachimi-jio-gan pills that were made by hand using the steamed root of Rehmaniae Radix were administered, improvement was seen in the asthmatic state of the other three patients as well. With improvement in the asthmatic state of all patients involved, attack scores decreased, treatment scores decreased and peak expiratory flow rates in the early morning increased. Patient 3 was able to discontinue use of oral corticosteroid drugs, and patient 4 was able to decrease the dosage.
The results suggest that Hachimi-jio-gan improves the respiratory function in patients with chronic asthma, and that the clinical effect was increased when the steamed root of Rehmaniae Radix is used in place of the dry root.

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The authors investigated the clinical effects of Hachimi-jio-gan in the form of handmade pills containing the steamed root of Rehmaniae Radix. There were 11 subjects involved in the study (eight women and three men), with a patient age of 56.7±11.1 (mean±S. D.) years old. All of the subjects suffered from chronic asthma, and their attacks had begun in adulthood. The patients were classified into three grades of severity: mild—one patient; moderate—two patients; and severe—eight patients. Ten of the patients received this medication for eight to twelve weeks, but one patient discontinued administration due to epigastrial discomfort.
The clinical efficacy of this agent was judged by changes in asthmatic attacks. Treatment scores in seven patients improved, two were unchanged and one worsened. Of seven patients taking oral steroids in conjunction with the Hachimi-jio-gan, two were able to decrease the dosage and two were able to discontinue the oral steroids, The peak expiratory flow rates in improved patients increased about 20% compared to the preadministration rates.
The authors considered that this Kampo formula may act to increase the anti-inflammatory action of corticosteroids or theophylline, because the bronchial dilatory effect was remarkable when it was administered in conjunction with these drugs, but less pronounced when used alone. This study suggest that wider application of this Kampo formula in patients with chronic asthma may improve respiratory function.

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Uterine prolapse and ptosis are caused by pelvic muscle atony and elongation of the endopelvic fascia. Radical treatment for uterine prolapse and ptosis is surgery. However, as these conditions usually arise in relatively older women, complications are common. Conservative treatment methods such as vaginal rings and Kampo medicine (particularly Hochu-ekki-to) are often recommended.
The authors prescribed Hochu-ekki-to for 38 patients with uterine prolapse and ptosis. A decrease in subjective symptoms was reported by 15 patients (39%) within four months. Seventy-two percent of these patients had uterine ptosis. Six of the 38 patients (16%) reported a worsening of subjective symptoms. The objective symptom of the degree of descent of the uterus when pulled by cervical forcepts did not change with treatment. The authors concluded that Hochu-ekki-to is useful in the treatment of uterine ptosis.

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The purpose of this research paper is to clarify the effect of moxibustion on the protective antibody induced by the Smith strain of Staphylococcus aureus. The moxibustion test group of four rabbits and the control group of four rabbits were all immunized subcutaneously with the Smith strain of S. aureus. Sera samples were collected weekly and antibody production was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Compared to the control group, the titer of IgM antibody of the moxibustion group increased significantly (p<0.05). Furthermore, ELISA inhibition tests with Smith surface antigen (SSA, a protective antigen) showed significantly (p<0.05) higher activities of IgM and IgG antibody in the moxibustion group at the 9th week after the first immunization. These results suggest that moxibustion promotes not only production of antibodies against the Smith strain of S. aureus, but also passive protective activity against SSA of S. aureus.

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Background: The present study investigates the effect of Juzentaiho-to on normal weight increase in rats. Juzentaiho-to is a traditional Japanese ‘Kampo’ medicine and causes increased appetite in patients.
Method: Ten male 4-week-old wistar rats were divided into two groups. The five rats of the J group were fed CE-2 including 1% Juzentaiho-to, and the five rats of the C group were fed CE-2. The animals weights were measured weeekly.
Results: The J group had grown significantly heavier than the C group at 15 weeksold.
Conclusions: Juzentaiho-to causes an increase in body weight in rats.

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A study of the classical references to the Kampo formulas Kihi-to and Kamikihi-to was conducted. The common constituents for Kihi-to today are Ginseng Radix, Atractylodis Rhizoma, Hoelen, Longanae Arillus, Zizyphi Spinosi Semen, Astragali Radix, Polygalae Radix, Angelicae Radix, Saussureae Radix, Glycyrrhizae Radix, Zingiberis Rhizoma and Zizyphi Fructus. The Kihi-to noted in the ‘Saiseiho’ (‘Ji Sheng Fang) did not contain Angelicae Radix and Polygalae Radix, and the Kihi-to in the ‘Gyokukibigi’ (‘Yu Ji Wei Yi’) adds Angelicae Radix to the formula found in the ‘Saiseiho, ’ The ‘Sesshi-ian’ (‘Xue Shi Yi An’) also adds Polygalae Radix. In the ‘Sesshi-ian’ there are three formulas given for Kamikihi-to: one with Bupleuri Radix and Gardeniae Fructus, one containing Bupleuri Radix, Moutan Radicis Cortex and Gardeniae Fructus, and one with Moutan Radicis Cortex and Gardeniae Fructus. Although all three variations can be found in the formula guidelines in circulation during the Edo period in Japan, at present, the formula containing Bupleuri Radix and Gardeniae Fructus is the most prevalent. This is most likely due to the influence of the ‘Futsugo-yakushitsu-hokan’ and ‘Futsugo-yakushitsu-hokan-kuketsu’.
In summary, the classical texts which included Kihi-to and Kamikihi-to were found to be the ‘Saiseiho’, ‘Gyokukibigi’, and the ‘Sesshi-ian’

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