4.Psychiatric Symptoms after Infection Treated with Kampo Medicine, Mainly Chikujountanto
Kampo Medicine 2022;73(3):303-307
I report two cases in which chikujountanto was effective for psychiatric symptoms after acute infection. Case 1 was a patient with depression after the common cold, which did not respond to the standard treatment with Western medicines using antidepressants, and was cured by honchiho with Kampo medicine. Case 2 was a patient with delirium after influenza, and kinds of untanto were highly effective. There is a neuroinflammatory hypothesis in the etiology of depression, and there are reports examining the clinical application of NSAIDS for neural inflammation, but the development of new pharmacotherapeutic drugs for targeting neuroinflammation has just only begun. On the other hand, it was found that the constituent crude drugs of Kampo medicine have anti-inflammatory effects, which is considered to be one of the factors leading to a cure. It was suggested that chikujountanto might be one of the differential prescriptions for psychiatric symptoms after suffering from the new coronavirus infection (COVID-19).
5.Experience with Chikujountanto (Untanto) for Trauma- and Stressor- Related Disorders
Kampo Medicine 2024;75(1):59-65
I report five cases in which chikujountanto and untanto were effective for trauma and stressor-related disorders. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and acute stress disorder (ASD) are both psychiatric disorders that occur as a reaction to severe stress, and are distinguished by the duration of the disorder. Chikujountanto is indicated for those who have cough and insomnia after late yang stage pattern in case of cold, and for chronic diseases such as depression and sleep disorders, and is applied to various psychiatric disorders. In this paper, I cite the grounds for applying chikujountanto to PTSD from the classics, examine the similarities and differences with other Kampo medicines reported to be used for PTSD from the characteristics of the constituent crude drug centered on Huang lian. I also infer the relationship between the therapeutic mechanism of Kampo and neuroinflammation. Regardless of the severity of the trauma, rapid administration of this drug is expected to hasten the healing process.
7.On Koteimeidokyukyo Fushinshosho : A Look at Early Acupuncture Point Study in Azuchi-Momoyama Era
Kampo Medicine 2015;66(1):1-7
Here we present research on the Koteimeidokyukyo Fushinshosho texts, as part of a study on acupuncture points in the Azuchi-Momoyama Era. The volume of texts is a collection of question and answer letters on acupuncture points between MANASE Dosan and his disciple HATA Soha. The material is significant in understanding the specifics of how acupuncture point study germinated, and then flourished in the Edo Era afterwards.
MANASE Dosan investigated acupuncture points through his bed side practice, and his masters' teachings which referred him to volumes on the art. His research was based on the Huangdimingtangjiujing and Tongrenshuxuezhenjiutujing at first, then mainly on the Shisijingfahui. HATA Soha compared these diverse theories on acupuncture points and presented his master Dosan several questions.
Thus here, we take a look at the Koteimeidokyukyo Fushinshosho to elucidate acupuncture point study specifics in the Azuchi-Momoyama Era, which hitherto have remained outside our scope of historical research.
9.Effect of Low Energy Laser Irradiation on the Synovial Lymphocytes and Cultured Synovial Cells of Rheumatoid Arthritis.
The Journal of The Japanese Society of Balneology, Climatology and Physical Medicine 1995;58(3):160-168
In rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the histological findings of the irradiated synovial membrane showed flattening of epithelial cells, decreased villous proliferation, narrowed vascular lumen, and reduced infiltration of inflammatory cells compared with nonirradiated synovia. However, the mechanisms of the action of low energy lasers in RA are unclear.
In order to clarify the effects of low energy laser irradiation, the lymphoid cells in the RA synovial membrane were studied using immuno-histology and the cultured synovial cells were studied with an electron microscopy.
The knee joints of 12 RA patients who had been scheduled for arthroplasty were irradiated with a gallium-aluminum-aresenide (Ga-Al-As) laser (790nm wavelength, 10-mW output) two to seven days before the surgical operation, at six points. On the day following the last irradiation, pieces of synovial membrane from the lateral irradiated area and from the medial nonirradiated area as a control were resected during the arthroplasty. The immuno-histological findings of the irradiated synovial membrane based on the peroxidase anti-peroxidase (PAP) method showed decreased CD4 cells in nine cases. A significant difference was seen in Wilcoxon's test (p<0.05). However the findings of the irradiated synovial membrane showed increased CD8 cells in two cases and decreased cells in seven cases. No significant difference was found by Wilcoxon's test on CD8 and CD4/8 of the irradiated synovial membrane. No significant difference in CD4 and CD8 of irradiated peripheral lymphoid cells was revealed by Wilcoxon's test. We noted histological changes (dilation of rER, hypertrophy of Golgi complexes, and decrease in secretions) on the irradiated cultured rheumatoid synovial cells observed by electron microscopy.
These findings suggest that low energy laser irradiation decreased T lymphoid cells presumably through disturbance of cytokine secretion in synovial cells.