title: The Effect of Yokukansan, a Traditional Herbal Preparation Used for the Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia, on the Drug-Metabolizing Enzyme Activities in Healthy Male Volunteers.
abstract: The concomitant use of herb and prescription medications is increasing globally. Herb-drug interactions are therefore a clinically important problem. Yokukansan (YKS), a Japanese traditional herbal medicine, is one of the most frequently used herbal medicines. It is effective for treating the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia. We investigated the potential effects of YKS on drug-metabolizing enzyme activities in humans. An open-label repeat-dose study was conducted in 26 healthy Japanese male volunteers (age: 22.7±2.3 years) with no history of smoking. An 8-h urine sample was collected after a 150-mg dose of caffeine and a 30-mg dose of dextromethorphan before and after the administration of YKS (2.5 g, twice a day for 1 week). The activities of cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A2, CYP2D6, CYP3A, xanthine oxidase (XO) and N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) were assessed based on the urinary metabolic indices of caffeine and dextromethorphan, and the urinary excretion ratio of 6β-hydroxycortisol to cortisol. There were no statistically significant differences in the activities of the examined enzymes before or after the 7-d administration of YKS. Although further studies assessing the influence of YKS on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the substrates of the drug-metabolizing enzymes are needed to verify the present results, YKS is unlikely that a pharmacokinetic interaction will occur with concomitantly administered medications that are predominantly metabolized by the CYP1A2, CYP2D6, CYP3A, XO and NAT2.
authors: Division of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kumamoto University.
authors: Hiromi
authors: H
authors: Soraoka
authors: Kentaro
authors: K
authors: Oniki
authors: Kazuki
authors: K
authors: Matsuda
authors: Tatsumasa
authors: T
authors: Ono
authors: Kosuke
authors: K
authors: Taharazako
authors: Yoshihiro
authors: Y
authors: Uchiyashiki
authors: Ryoko
authors: R
authors: Kamihashi
authors: Ayana
authors: A
authors: Kita
authors: Ayaka
authors: A
authors: Takashima
authors: Kazuko
authors: K
authors: Nakagawa
authors: Norio
authors: N
authors: Yasui-Furukori
authors: Daisuke
authors: D
authors: Kadowaki
authors: Keishi
authors: K
authors: Miyata
authors: Junji
authors: J
authors: Saruwatari
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001191:Arylamine N-Acetyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism*; D001519:Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D002110:Caffeine / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000652:urine; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / Q000378:metabolism*; D003704:Dementia / Q000188:drug therapy; D003915:Dextromethorphan / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000652:urine; D004347:Drug Interactions; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000652:urine; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014969:Xanthine Oxidase / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; C524644:Yi-Gan San; D002110:Caffeine; D003915:Dextromethorphan; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System; D014969:Xanthine Oxidase; D001191:Arylamine N-Acetyltransferase; C478900:NAT2 protein, human; D006854:Hydrocortisone