Daikenchuto Research Articles

Abatement of Morphine-Induced Slowing in Gastrointestinal Transit by Dai-kenchu-to, a Traditional Japanese Herbal Medicine

As a way of alleviating severe constipation in cancer patients taking morphine to relieve pain, effects of Dai-kenchu-to (DKT), a traditional Japanese herbal medicine (Kampo medicine), on gastrointestinal transit in mice or on the isolated guinea pig ileum were studied in special reference to morphine. Without altering the anti-nociceptive effect of morphine, DKT was significantly effective against morphine-induced disorder of gastrointestinal transit in mice as assessed by the charcoal meal test for the intestine and measurement of transit time for the colon tract. The results of in vitro studies with guinea pig ileum suggest that abatement of morphine-induced disorder of transit by DKT is caused by both moderate contraction of morphine-treated longitudinal muscle and relaxation of morphine-induced tonic contraction of circular muscle.

The inhibitory effect of herbal medicine -Dai Kenchu To (DKT)- on the colonic motility in rats in vitro.

Dai-Kenchu-To (DKT) is a herbal medicine and is currently used as the treatment of paralytic ileus in Japan. We investigated the mechanism of beneficial effects of DKT in vitro. DKT-extract powder (DKT-EP; 30-300 microg/ml) caused a significant inhibition on carbachol (CCH: 10(-6))-induced contraction in a concentration dependent manner of the rat distal colon. DKT-EP (100 microg/ml) consists of 20 microg/ml of Zanthoxylum Fruit, 30 microg/ml of Ginseng Root and 50 microg/ml of Ginger Rhizome. Although each of them had no effect on CCH-induced muscle contraction, the combination of three ingredients caused a significant inhibition on CCH-induced contraction.

Pharmacological studies of the effect of Dai-kenchu-to on spontaneous contraction of isolated rabbit jejunum.

We studied the effects of Dai-kenchu to on the spontaneous contraction in isolated rabbit jejunum. Dai-kenchu-to (10(-3) g/ml) increased jejunal contraction, such as phasic like contraction and contractile amplitude. Zanthoxyli Fructus (2x10(-4) g/ml) exhibited an action identical to that of Dai-kenchu-to. While Zingiberis Siccatum Rhizoma (5x10(-4) g/ml) continuously decreased the amplitude of contraction. Ginseng Radix (3x10(-4) g/ml) and Saccharum Granorum (8x10(-3) g/ml) had no effect on spontaneous contraction. Dai kenchu-to and Zanthoxyli Fructus reversed the decrease of contraction produced by atropine. However, phasic like contraction induced in the absence of atropine was antagonized by atropine. Dai-kenchu-to and Zingiberis Siccatum Rhizoma further decreased spontaneous contraction in the presence of tetrodotoxin. It was clarified that Dai-kenchu-to possesses gastroprokinetic effect, and Zanthoxyli Fructus mainly contributed to this effect. It was suggested that the cholinergic and non cholinergic nervous systems were involved in increasing intestinal motility. It was also suggested that Dai-kenchu-to acted on multiple points of the intestine, and actions at these points might intensify to improve ileus.