title: Some gastrointestinal function regulatory Kampo medicines have modulatory effects on human plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone and cortisol levels with continual stress exposure.
abstract: Rikkunshi-to, a gastrointestinal function regulatory traditional Chinese herbal (Kampo) medicine, has recently been evaluated for its clinical usefulness in stress and depression. This medicine has modulatory effects on the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis and autonomic nervous function. We examined the effect of Rikkunshi-to and the other gastrointestinal function regulatory Kampo medicines, Hange-shashin-to, Hange-koboku-to, and Ninjin-to, on the plasma levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol under stress conditions by repetitive blood sampling. Rikkunshi-to, Hange-shashin-to, and Hange-koboku-to significantly suppressed increases in plasma ACTH-immunoreactive substance (IS) levels compared with the response to a placebo. Rikkunshi-to and Hange-shashin-to significantly suppressed increases in plasma cortisol levels compared with the response to placebo. Ninjin-to had no significant effect on plasma ACTH-IS and cortisol levels. In this study, Rikkunshi-to, Hange-shashin-to, and Hange-koboku-to (partially) regulated plasma ACTH and cortisol levels under stress. These modulatory effects might be beneficial in stress-related disease and suggest that these medicines have clinical pharmacologic activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Oita Medical University, Hasama-machi, Oita 879-5593, Japan. naitou@oita-med.ac.jp
authors.forename: Takafumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Naito
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Itoh
authors.forename: Masaharu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takeyama
mesh_terms: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D004064:Digestive System / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D020835:Medicine, Kampo; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D006854:Hydrocortisone