The effects of Sokei-kakketsu-to, Yokuinin-to, Keisi-ka-zyutsubu-to, Eppi-ka-jutsu-to, and Saireito extracts on Adjuvant-induced arthritis (AA) in rats were investigated. After administering AA, we measured the volume of rat hindpaw as the inflammation index, and observed the changes of synovitis histologically. Each extract showed different effects on AA rats. Yokuinin-to and Sokei-kakketsu-to had remarkable effects on inflammation and changed the histological observations of synovitis. Eppi-ka-jutsu-to also had effects on the uninjected hindpaw, but Keisi-ka-jutsubu-to and Sairei-to had no effect on hindpaw inflammation, nor did they change synovitis histologically.

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Risk factors for developing hemolytic uremic syndrome among patients with enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157: H7 (EHEC) infection include age. The young, especially those under the age of five, face an increased risk, as do the elderly. In the present study, we evaluated the protective effects of Hochu-ekki-to (HET) on intraperitoneal infection with EHEC, using immunosuppressant, dexamethasone (Dex)-treated mice.
It was found that HET induced improvement of Dex-induced leukopenia. Similarly, the IgM-plaque forming cell responses to sheep red blood cell (SRBC) were restored by the administration of HET to the normal-mice level in Dex-treated mice. Consequently, HET was administered orally into the Dex-treated mice before infection with EHEC to observe the therapeutic effect. With the oral administration of 500mg/kg/head of HET into the Dex-treated mice, prolonged survival was shown: the 50% survival time in the HET-administered mice was four days, compared with one day in the non-administered controls. In addition, the number of bacteria in the liver was reduced by the administration of HET in the Dex-treated mice.
The results indicate that orally administered-HET protects against EHEC infection in Dex-treated mice, and such protective effects appear to be due to the restorative effects of HET against the Dex-induced immunosuppression.

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Before the administration of conventional medicines, outpatients with indefinite complaints answered 51 questions (six mental categories) from the Cornell Medical Index (CMI) and 43 questions (seven physical categories) from the Abe questionnaire for vegetative syndrome. The subjects of this study were 18 cases with CMI III-IV scores who were effectively treated with Saiko-ka-ryukotsu-borei-to (n=9; SR group) or Kami-shoyo-san (n=9; KS group). In order to compare the clinical features of both groups, the average complaint rates responding to the mental and physical categories were evaluated in each group.
Psychologically, the average complaint rates related to depression and tension were high in the SR group, and the average complaint rates related to hyper-sensitivity and anger were high in the KS group. Discriminant analysis revealed that three categories —tension, hyper-sensitivity and depression— contributed to a difference between the SR and KS groups. Physically, the average complaint rates responding to all of 7 categories of the SR group were not significantly different from those of the KS group.

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We have recently seen an increasing number of patients with osteoporosis of the type that occurs as a chronic illness in the elderly, and particularly in elderly female patients. It is important not only to treat pain but to follow-up with treatments to prevent further bone mass loss. To measure bone mass in patients with osteoporosis, we employed Digital Imaging Processing (DIP). In this study, the authors examined changes in the bone mass of patients in long-term therapy with Keishi-ka-Jutsubu-to and Gosha-Jinki-Gan. As a comparative-control group, or non-treatment group, we selected 11 patients who had been diagnosed as having osteporosis in an outpatient clinic, and whose bone mass had been measured with DIP. These patients discontinued treatment, but returned to the outpatient clinic six months to one year later. The average duration of non-treatment in the control group was 9.8 months. Metacarpal index (MCI) and metacarpal bone mineral density (m-BMD) at the first visit were 0.40±0.07 and 2.22±0.38, but 10 months later they were 0.36±0.05 and 1.97±0.38, which represents a significant decrease.
In 20 cases given Keishi-ka-Jutsubu-to, the initial bone mass data were: MCI, 0.39±0.08; m-BMD, 2.07±0.32. Measurements performed after three, six, and nine months of treatment showed no difference or increase from the initial values.
In 12 cases given Gosha-Jinki-Gan, the initial data were: MCI, 0.40±0.07; m-BMD, 2.06±0.27. Measurements performed after three, six and nine months of treatment showed no difference from the initial values.
The severity of pain was equally reduced by treatment with Kampo formulation or NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) by four weeks, but after eight weeks low back pain in patients treated with the Kampo formulation was significantly reduced compared with low back pain in the group treated with NSAIDs.

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In this article, the proposal to rename “Chinese herbs nephropathy” was reviewed. Prolonged use of Chinese herbs that contain aristolochic acid may induce tubulo-interstitial disorders. In our opinion, the “Chinese herbs nephropathy” nomenclature is equivocal, and should be changed to “aristolochic-acid nephropathy”. Professor Vanherweghem, who is the first author to write about this disease, also used the name “Aristolochia nephropathy.”

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