An herbal medicine, Go-sha-jinki-gan (GJG), increases muscle weight in severe muscle dystrophy model mice

Abstract

s u m m a r yGo-sha-jinki-gan (GJG), a traditional Japanese herbal medicine has a clinical implication to alleviate age-related symptoms, especially in some motor disorders. However, the scientific evidence is limited, and there is a possibility to expand the medical application range of GJG. Using senescence-accelerated mice, our group showed that GJG exerted an effect to prevent sarcopenia, the agedrelated loss of skeletal muscle. Because muscular dystrophy is characterized by a progressive loss of skeletal muscle, we examined the effects of GJG on a mouse model of muscular dystrophy. Using a newly established mouse model for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), DBA/2-mdx, we showed that GJG significantly increased the body and skeletal muscle weights in comparison to the control DBA/2-mdx mice, regardless of gender. The increased skeletal muscle mass resulted from an increment in the myofiber size, but not from the myofiber number. Both the skeletal muscle regenerative ability and the accumulation of fibrosis (the dystrophic pathology) in GJG-fed DBA/2-mdx mice were comparable to those in control DBA/2-mdx mice, suggesting that the cellular target of GJG is myofibers, with no contribution from the muscle satellite cells neither in an direct nor in an indirect manner. Taken together, GJG increased the skeletal muscle mass in a mouse model of muscular dystrophy, in addition to our previously tested sarcopenia mouse model.

Juzentaihoto Suppresses Muscle Atrophy in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Mice

“…5,6) In STZ-induced mice, skeletal muscle atrophy occurs through elevated ubiquitin ligase expression, which results from an increase in inflammatory cytokine levels. 17,18) The same phenomenon with STZ injection also occurred in this study. However, prophylactic JTT administration to STZ-induced diabetic mice reduced serum levels of the inflammatory cytokine TNF-α (Fig.…”

“…This causes skeletal muscle atrophy. 17,18) In this study, diabetic model mice were prepared by STZ injection and juzentaihoto extract (JTT) was administered prophylactically. Skeletal muscle mass and anti-inflammatory effects were then evaluated.…”

Goshajinkigan, a Traditional Japanese Medicine, Suppresses Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel Nav1.4 Currents in C2C12 Cells

“…5,6 However, recently, the effects of GJG on the skeletal muscle have been focused. [7][8][9] Some clinical reports show that GJG relieves pain caused by skeletal muscle cramps. [10][11][12] Therefore, GJG may suppress abnormal skeletal muscle excitation and relieve muscle stiffness or cramps.…”