The status of education for integrative medicine in Japanese medical universities with special reference to Kampo medicines

Abstract

AimThe Japanese government defined integrative/integrated medicine (IM) as “medical practice led by physicians, cooperating with other specialists.” Therefore, the basics of comprehensive medical education should be provided in medical universities. We investigated the situation of IM with special reference to Kampo medicines in the national core curricula, national examination standards and the syllabuses for lectures published on the universities' websites.MethodsIn the published documents regarding the core curriculum, national examination standards and syllabuses in the academic year 2018, we analyzed whether they include IM.ResultsFour kinds of universities offered “Kampo medicine” (Japanese traditional herbal medicine) as their core curriculum. Pharmaceutical universities included “health food”, and nursing universities included “alternative medicine”. National examination standards for dentists and pharmacists included Kampo medicine, but those for doctors and nurses did not. In the syllabuses of medical universities, 85% included Kampo medicine, but the percentage for IMs was low. The situation was similar in dental universities. All pharmaceutical universities included Kampo medicines and health foods; other IMs were low. The number for all IMs in nursing universities was lower than half.ConclusionBased on the definition of IM in this paper, we investigated the actual situation of IM education including Kampo in all universities. There were considerable differences between all the faculties. For medical doctor, the Kampo medicines listed in the model core curriculum that are not included in the national examination standard should be rectified. For pharmacists, it is important to deepen the educational contents in this field.

Potential of the Novel Slot Blot Method with a PVDF Membrane for Protein Identification and Quantification in Kampo Medicines

“…Several Kampo medicine crude drugs [1][2][3] have been analyzed to determine the primary component influencing cellular or organ function. For example, using 3D-HPLC, Kishida et al and Nakanishi et al identified the components of the Goshajinkigan extract, including morroniside, (+)-catechin, loganin, paeoniflorin, penta-O-galloylglucose, benzoylmesaconine, cinnamic acid, isoacteoside, benzoylpaeoniflorin, cinnamaldehyde, 16-ketoalisol A, and paeonol [14,16].…”

“…Kampo medicine is a Japanese traditional medicine modified and developed based on traditional Chinese medicine from the fifth to the nineteenth centuries [1][2][3]. Kampo medicines were carefully selected and developed to include various crude drugs (natural products).…”

Analysis of Crude, Diverse, and Multiple Advanced Glycation End-Product Patterns May Be Important and Beneficial

“…Chinese name: Dang-Gui-Sheng-Jiang-Yang-Rou-Tang) to inhibit pro-inflammatory factors through AGEs-RAGE axis signaling in diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome [ 112 ]. Although Toukisyoukyouyounikuto is not contained in modern Kampo medicines because they were not described in the current Japanese Pharmacopoeia by several national laws in Japan [ 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 ], they may be focused on the effects of inhibition of AGEs-RAGE axis signaling in the future. The potential of some Kampo medicines to suppress AGEs-RAGE axis signaling has been revealed, though researchers have not made the mechanisms sufficiently clear because Kampo medicines contain various compounds that would be metabolized and treated with non-enzymic reactions ( Figure 15 ) [ 43 , 44 ].…”

“…Kampo medicines are traditional medicines that were introduced from China but developed uniquely in Japan from the fifth to the nineteenth centuries [ 33 , 34 , 35 ]. Modern Kampo medicines are produced from extracts by pharmaceutical companies governed by several national laws in Japan since approximately 1950 [ 35 , 36 ].…”