title: Rikkunshito as a ghrelin enhancer.
abstract: Rikkunshito is a kampo herbal medicine which is widely used in Japan for the treatment of the upper gastrointestinal symptoms of patients with functional dyspepsia, gastroesophageal reflux disease, dyspeptic symptoms of postgastrointestinal surgery patients, and chemotherapy-induced dyspepsia in cancer patients. Recently, very unique characteristics of rikkunshito have been unveiled; oral administration of rikkunshito potentiates orexigenic action of ghrelin through several different mechanisms. In addition, several lines of evidence obtained from both animal and human studies indicate that rikkunshito can be an attractive and promising therapeutic option for the anorectic conditions including cisplatin-induced dyspepsia, anorexia of aging, stress-induced hypophagia, and cancer cachexia-anorexia syndrome. In this chapter, we highlight the orexigenic effect of rikkunshito with a special focus on its interaction with ghrelin signaling system.
authors.affiliation: Pathophysiology and Therapeutics, Hokkaido University Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. h_takeda@pharm.hokudai.ac.jp
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takeda
authors.forename: Shuichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Muto
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakagawa
authors.forename: Shunsuke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ohnishi
authors.forename: Chiharu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sadakane
authors.forename: Yayoi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Saegusa
authors.forename: Miwa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nahata
authors.forename: Tomohisa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hattori
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Asaka
mesh_terms: D000215:Acylation; D000375:Aging / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000855:Anorexia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy; D001067:Appetite Depressants / Q000494:pharmacology; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000009:adverse effects; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects; D057075:Enzyme Assays; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008517:Phytotherapy; D059748:Proteolysis; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D044405:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2C / Q000378:metabolism; D012701:Serotonin / Q000494:pharmacology; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013270:Stomach / Q000187:drug effects; D013312:Stress, Physiological
chemical_list: D001067:Appetite Depressants; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D054439:Ghrelin; D044405:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2C; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists; C084136:liu-jun-zi-tang; D012701:Serotonin; D002945:Cisplatin