We investigated 29 Lactobacillus strains isolated from Japanese traditional fermented food products made from rice grain or bran in order to select strains that potently suppress IgE production. First, in vitro screening was carried out to select candidates with strong induction activity for IL-12 and INF-γ production and suppression activity for IL-4 production in mouse splenocytes. Based on the screening data, 3 strains were selected and orally administrated to ovalbumin (OVA)-immunized mice. Among these 3 strains, Lactobacillus paracasei K71 (L. paracasei K71) isolated from sakekasu (sake lees) was shown to be the most potent for decreasing total and OVA-specific IgE levels in serum. L. paracasei K71 may downregulate IgE production via the induction of Th1 responses and suppression of Th2 responses in vivo.

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The main points of difference between Western aud Oriental medicine are as follows: 1) Oriental medicine is concerned mainly with treatment methods and. Western medicine with the diagnosis of the disease.. 2) Oriental medicine, in a word, is based on the superficial anatomy and Western on the pathological or microscopic. 3) Oriental medicine is more philosophical and Western more scientific. 4) Oriental medicine uses the feeling of our bodies and Western uses mechanical methods. 5) Oriental medicine is more deductive, and Western more analytical. 6) Oriental medicine is more functional and Western more constructive. At any rate, I believe that Western medicine is more progressive and scientific, and yet we cannot really compare the two because they are, as it were, fighting in two completely different arenas. Diagnosis of the patient is made by four methods :-1) inspection, 2) auscultation, 3) anamnesis and 4) palpation. Among palpation methods one of the most important is pulse diagnosis. For this diagnosis we usually feel A. radialis and A. carotis. When A.radialis is used, we feel that artery with the tips of the 2 nd, 3 rd, and