title: Influence of Dai-kenchu-to (DKT) on human portal blood flow.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Dai-kenchu-to (DKT) is known as an herbal medicine used for postoperative ileus. However, no report exists about the effect of DKT on portal blood flow. The aim of this study is to clarify the influence of DKT on portal blood flow.
  
  
  METHODS
  To healthy volunteers (Healthy; n = 6), cirrhotic patients (Cirrhosis; n = 7) and liver-transplant patients (LTx; n = 3), DKT (2.5g) with 100mL of warm water was orally administrated in the DKT group, and only warm water was administrated in the control group. The portal blood flow rate (M-VEL: cm/sec.) and portal blood flow (Flow volume: mL/min.) was measured each time after administration using an ultrasonic Doppler method. Furthermore, the arterial blood pressure and heart rate was measured at the same time points.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the DKT group, a significant increase of M-VEL (120%) and flow volume (150%) 30 minutes after administration was observed in both Healthy and Cirrhosis in comparison with the control group. In LTx, there was also a significant increase of flow volume (128%) 30 minutes after administration. However, there was no change in average blood pressure and heart rate in all groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  DKT increases portal blood flow in early phase after oral administration without any significant changes in the blood pressure and heart rate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Digestive and Pediatric Surgery, Institute of Health Biosciences, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Tokushima, Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ogasawara
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Morine
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ikemoto
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Imura
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Soejima
authors.forename: Mitsuo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shimada
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D005894:Panax; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000187:drug effects*; D032106:Zanthoxylum; D030521:Zingiberaceae
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; C121414:dai-kenchu-to