title: The traditional Japanese formula keishibukuryogan reduces liver injury and inflammation in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
abstract: The Kampo formula keishibukuryogan (KBG, Guizhifulingwan) is frequently used in traditional Japanese and Chinese medicine to treat several symptoms and manifests anti-inflammatory and scavenging effects. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common manifestation of the metabolic syndrome and has the potential to evolve to liver cirrhosis through chronic inflammation and steatohepatisis (NASH). We have recently reported the KBG significant effectiveness on liver injury in a NASH animal model that prompted us to prescribe to KBG (TJ-25). We performed a retrospective study and reviewed the charts of outpatients who were prescribed KBG for 8-12 weeks due to non-liver-related symptoms (n= 11) over the past year to evaluate the clinical outcome. In six of these cases, biochemical and ultrasound signs of NAFLD were observed. KBG led to a significant reduction in liver injury tests and blood cholesterol but had no effects on body weight in all NAFLD cases. Further, liver tests and lipid profiles returned to baseline values when KBG treatment was stopped. On the basis of data on a small number of subjects, we suggest that the use of KBG is a safe complementary treatment in patients with NAFLD. While it is unlikely that Kampo formulas may substitute the current nutritional approaches to the metabolic syndrome, future studies should address the possibility of an additive effect, possibly through anti-inflammatory mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Japanese Oriental Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan.
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujimoto
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsuneyama
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kinoshita
authors.forename: Hirozo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Goto
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takano
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Selmi
authors.forename: Carl L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Keen
authors.forename: M Eric
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Gershwin
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shimada
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; C054593:keishibukuryogan