The Wakan-yaku Universe: A Useful Authorized Traditional Concept for Developing Novel Therapeutic Categories and Medicinal Drugs

Abstract

This review article mentions about the following points, and proposes its importance and positive thinking. 1) Wakan-yaku (Japanese oriental medicines) is covered by the national health insurance system in Japan as therapeutic drugs to be actively used in medical practice to treat illness. 2) Applications of Wakan-yaku is accomplished based on the reliable own theories which are established with long histories. 3) Promotion of studies based on these theories will be highly expected to find novel view points which breaks conventional concepts and to novel standards for developing new medicinal drugs. Although studies based on the reliable Wakan-yaku theories are not advancing satisfactorily till now, the possibilities to obtain the advanced resources for drugs and novel viewpoints for experiments by studies about Wakan-yaku theories are discussed in this review.

Effects of herbal extracts on mRNA expression of intrinsic antidepressant‐related candidate factor BNIP‐3 in cultured neuronal and glial cell lines: Relationship with the Kampo concept of Qi

“…In the future, we will also examine the changes in effectiveness in the process from combination of herbal medicines to prescription, from one item or the other of a “herbal pair” of the classical Kampo theory [15]. The physiological significance of the Qi caused by BNIP‐3, the effects and the mechanisms of herbal medicines and the active ingredients, and the supplementary effects of other combined herbal drugs from the viewpoint of “herbal pairs”, are subjects for further experiments.…”

Profiling of 120 types of herbal extracts and their effects on morphology in cultured neuronal or glial cell lines, followed by RNA extraction for a cDNA library: Consideration for use in studies based on Kampo theories

“…This approach, in combination with other techniques, such as electrophysiology, may be useful for obtaining information on active ingredients that are only available in small amounts. Many active unknown compounds present at very small amounts in crude galenical drugs have been suggested to exert agonistic effects [13], similar to the secretome of a conditioned medium in differentiated PC12 cells, which induced neuronal differentiation in human stem cells [14]. For example, ephedrine in Ephedrae Herba acts as an agonist in the noradrenergic system.…”

“…For example, ephedrine in Ephedrae Herba acts as an agonist in the noradrenergic system. The combination of Ephedrae Herba and Cinnamomi Cortex causes perspiration, whereas the combination of Ephedrae Herba with gypsum exerts the opposite effect [13]. Therefore, the direct application of crude drugs to cells needs to be considered based on these molecular and pharmacological mechanisms.…”

Use of an electrophysiological technique for stepwise detection of trace agonist constituents of Hochuekkito in <i>Xenopus</i> oocytes injected with serotonin 2C receptor mRNA

“…Since Kampo medicines are prescribed depending on the symptoms of a patient and differences in the individual's condition, they are considered to be a forerunner in "tailor-made medicine". Studies on the mechanisms of action of each Kampo prescription are based on certain theories, and not on an analytical method that prioritizes determination of its structure, so those findings will contribute to the discovery of novel research concepts and ultra-low-dose therapeutics (1).…”