title: Abatement of morphine-induced slowing in gastrointestinal transit by Dai-kenchu-to, a traditional Japanese herbal medicine.
abstract: As a way of alleviating severe constipation in cancer patients taking morphine to relieve pain, effects of Dai-kenchu-to (DKT), a traditional Japanese herbal medicine (Kampo medicine), on gastrointestinal transit in mice or on the isolated guinea pig ileum were studied in special reference to morphine. Without altering the anti-nociceptive effect of morphine, DKT was significantly effective against morphine-induced disorder of gastrointestinal transit in mice as assessed by the charcoal meal test for the intestine and measurement of transit time for the colon tract. The results of in vitro studies with guinea pig ileum suggest that abatement of morphine-induced disorder of transit by DKT is caused by both moderate contraction of morphine-treated longitudinal muscle and relaxation of morphine-induced tonic contraction of circular muscle.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapeutics, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, Japan. chitoku@p.chiba-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Tomonori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sakai
authors.forename: Issei
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Isogami
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Noda
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ueno
authors.forename: Shingo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yano
mesh_terms: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D048429:Cell Size / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004347:Drug Interactions; D005772:Gastrointestinal Transit / Q000187:drug effects*; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D007082:Ileum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D020835:Medicine, Kampo; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D009020:Morphine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D009126:Muscle Relaxation / Q000187:drug effects; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005894:Panax; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012007:Rectum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D032106:Zanthoxylum; D030521:Zingiberaceae
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D010936:Plant Extracts; C121414:dai-kenchu-to; D009020:Morphine