The effects of the Kampo medicine (Japanese herbal medicine) "Daikenchuto" on the surgical inflammatory response following laparoscopic colorectal resection.
OBJECTIVE
The inflammatory response after surgery is associated with various postoperative complications. The aim of the present prospective study was to evaluate the effects of Daikenchuto (DKT) (a Japanese herbal medicine) on the inflammatory response in patients following laparoscopic colorectal resection.


METHODS
Thirty patients who underwent laparoscopic colectomy for colorectal carcinoma were divided into two groups: a DKT intake group (D group, n = 15) and a control group (C group, n = 15). The D group took 7.5 g/day of DKT from the day after surgery until the 7th postoperative day. The body temperature, heart rate, WBC count, lymphocyte count, C-reactive protein (CRP) level, β-D: -glucan level and Candida index were compared between the two groups.


RESULTS
The patients' mean age in the D group was significantly younger than that in the C group. D3 lymph node dissection was performed more often in the D group. The time until first flatus was significantly shorter in the D group (1.8 ± 0.5 days) than in the C group (2.7 ± 0.5 days). The CRP level was significantly lower in the D group (4.6 ± 0.6 mg/dl) than in the C group (8.3 ± 1.1 mg/dl) on the 3rd postoperative day.


CONCLUSIONS
Postoperative DKT administration significantly suppressed the CRP level and shortened the time until first flatus. DKT administration also significantly suppressed postoperative inflammation following surgery for colorectal cancer.
Department of Surgery, Institute of Health Biosciences, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Japan, 3-18-15 Kuramoto, Tokushima, Tokushima, 770-8503, Japan.
Kozo
K
Yoshikawa
Mitsuo
M
Shimada
Masanori
M
Nishioka
Nobuhiro
N
Kurita
Takashi
T
Iwata
Shinya
S
Morimoto
Tomohiko
T
Miyatani
Masato
M
Komatsu
Hideya
H
Kashihara
Chie
C
Mikami
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000187:drug effects; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D003082:Colectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005414:Flatulence; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D020835:Medicine, Kampo; D008875:Middle Aged; D005894:Panax; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D032106:Zanthoxylum; D030521:Zingiberaceae
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D010936:Plant Extracts; C121414:dai-kenchu-to; D002097:C-Reactive Protein