The herbal medicine Dai-kenchu-to and one of its active components [6]-shogaol increase intestinal blood flow in rats.
The present study investigated the effects of the herbal medicine Dai-kenchu-to (DKCT) and its 4 individual ingredients on intestinal blood flow (IBF) in rats by laser Doppler flowmetry. Intraduodenal administration of DKCT (30, 100 and 300 mg/kg) increased IBF in a dose-dependent manner, whereas the mean arterial blood pressure was not affected. One of the ingredients in DKCT is dried ginger rhizome (150 mg/kg), whose main component is [6]-shogaol (2 mg/kg), both of which showed similar effects to those shown by DKCT, while the other ingredients in DKCT only slightly increased IBF or had no effect. The calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor antagonist, CGRP (8-37), completely abolished the hyperemia induced by DKCT, dried ginger rhizome and [6]-shogaol. However, the vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) receptor antagonist, [4-Cl-DPhe6, Leul7]-VIP, and atropine were less inhibitory than CGRP (8-37), and the substance P (SP) receptor antagonist, spantide, had no effect. The present study demonstrated that DKCT and one of its active components, [6]-shogaol, produced an increase in IBF which was mainly mediated by CGRP and suggests that DKCT may be useful in the treatment of intestinal ischemia-related diseases.
Murata
Pin
P
R & D Division, Tsumura & Co, Ibaraki, Japan. murata_pin@mail.tsumura.co.jp
Kase
Yoshio
Y
Ishige
Atsushi
A
Sasaki
Hiroshi
H
Kurosawa
Susumu
S
Nakamura
Takashi
T
D000818:Animals; D002396:Catechols / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000077407:Cilostazol; D020117:Cisapride / Q000494:pharmacology; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D006940:Hyperemia / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced; D007422:Intestines / Q000098:blood supply*; D017078:Laser-Doppler Flowmetry; D008297:Male; D005894:Panax; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000187:drug effects; D013777:Tetrazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D032106:Zanthoxylum; D030521:Zingiberaceae
D002396:Catechols; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D010936:Plant Extracts; D013777:Tetrazoles; C121414:dai-kenchu-to; C040115:shogaol; D000077407:Cilostazol; D020117:Cisapride