[Objective] Physical exercises raise more or less body temperature. A body temperature is regulated constantly generally by homeostasis mechanism. Perspiration is only heat radiation mechanism under high temperature environments. And sudoriferous water is supplied from blood. Blood flow is determined by blood fluidity, blood volume and the cardiovascular system. It was reported that strong stress decreased blood fluidity.In this experiment, we investigated the relation between blood fluidity and water supply in rats loaded with forced exercise in high temperature environment.[Methods] SPF male Wistar rats weighing 150 g were used. All animals were put in high temperature environment (Wet Bulb Globe Temperature; WBGT: 28°C) through whole experimental period. In a group of water supply, distilled water was served before and later exercise by sonde forcibly. The rats were divided into five groups randomly; Rest-Non water intake (RN), Rest-Water intake (RW), Exercise-Non water intake (EN), Exercise-Water intake (EW) and Baseline (B). The blood was collected before or later of exercise and blood fluidity or platelet aggregation was measured.[Results] In the EN, platelet aggregation, lactic acid and corticosterone increased while blood fluidity were decreased significantly compared with the RN, RW and EW. In addition, the hematocrit did not increase even if water equivalent to 8 % of body weight lost it.[Conclusion] We speculate that exercise in high temperature environment decreases blood fluidity. However, the water supply that does not completely make up for quantity of depletion in exercise may improve blood fluidity.

[Objective] Perspiration is almost only heat radiation mechanism under high temperature environments. And sudoriferous water is supplied from blood. Blood flow is determined by blood fluidity, blood volume and the cardiovascular system. It was reported that strong stress decreased blood fluidity.In this experiment, we investigated the relation between blood fluidity and water supply in rats loaded with forced exercise in high temperature environment.[Methods] SPF male Wistar rats weighing 250g were used. All animals were put in high temperature environment (Wet Bulb Globe Temperature; WBGT: 28°C) through whole experimental period. The rats were divided into four groups randomly; Suitable temperature environment-Exercise-Non water intake (SEN), High temperature environment-Exercise-Non water intake (HEN), High temperature environment-Exercise-Water intake (HEW) and Baseline (BL). In a group of water supply, distilled water was served before and later exercise by sonde forcibly. The blood was collected before or later of exercise and blood and erythrocyte suspension fluidity were measured.[Results] In the HEN, hydroperoxides, blood sodium, lactic acid and adrenaline increased while blood and erythrocyte suspension fluidity were decreased significantly compared with the BL. In addition, the hematocrit did not increase even if water equivalent to 4% of body weight lost it.[Conclusion] We speculate that exercise in high temperature environment decreases blood fluidity. However, the water supply in exercise that might not be sufficiently improve blood fluidity.

Swelling and pain appear when blood flow is delayed in states of “oketsu.” Until now “oketsu” as a circulatory disturbance has been studied from profiles of vascular resistance characteristics and blood fluidity. Blood fluidity is influenced by blood cell function, plasma ingredients and reactive oxygen. In this study, we administered the various Chinese herbal medicines, tokishakuyakusan, saikokaryukotsuboreito, tokakujokito, keishibukuryogan and juzentaihoto to determine the effect of these medicines on “oketsu” by observing reactive oxygen dynamics and blood fluidity in rats.SPF male Wistar rats weighing 200 g were used. Each experimental group was given feed containing 3% extract of one Chinese herbal medicine for1week. Blood samples were mixed with heparin, EDTA-2K or sodium citrate to block coagulation. Blood fluidity was measured with a Micro Channel Array Flow Analyzer (MC-FAN). A PA-20 examined platelet aggregation by the reaction to ADP, which activates platelet aggregation. Reactive oxygen dynamics were measured with a Free Radical Elective Evaluator (FREE).As a result, anti-oxidative ability and blood fluidity increased in all Chinese herbal medicine-administered groups. Furthermore, an inverse correlation between the fluidity of erythrocyte suspensions and anti-oxidative ability was shown. We speculate that an anti-oxidative influence of Chinese herbal medicines affected erythroid deformability or stickiness. In addition, tokishakuyakusan, tokakujokito and keishibukuryogan decreased platelet aggregation ability.This study shows that “oketsu” improves blood properties and suggests that Chinese herbal medicine improves decrease in blood fluidity, the causes of conditions such as thrombosis or embolism.

Objective: In general, antiallergic drugs, steroids, and autonomic drugs are administered for patients with allergic diseases, but the chronic administration of these medicines may occasionally induce side effects. As such, several complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) are used, even though their effectiveness has not been established by a significant amount of evidence. Health food, herbal medicines, herbal tea, and aromatherapy, etc., are used for the treatment of allergic rhinitis (AR) as CAM. Rosmarinic acid is a type of polyphenol, and is reported to have antiallergic, antioxydative and anti-inflammatory properties. Rosmarinic acid is included in Perilla Herbs, which are used in health foods and herbal medicines (Kampo medicines), Rosemary and Lemon balm, which are used as herbal teas and essential oils of aromatherapy. This study was performed to evaluate the effect of rosmarinic acid on AR using AR model rats.
Methods: Six-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were sensitized with toluene 2,4-diisocyanate (TDI) to induce AR. Rosmarinic acid (1 mg/kg i.p. or 3 mg/kg i.p.) is administrated for 21 days. On day 22, the symptom of nasal allergy was evaluated by counting the number of sneezes within 10 minutes. Substance P (SP), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and nerve growth factor (NGF) in the nasal lavage fluids were also measured.
Result: SP and CGRP take part in the exacerbation of rhinitis symptoms, and are secreted from the nerve ending following nerve stimulation by chemical mediators such as histamine. The administration of Rosmarinic acid had no effect on NGF, but significantly suppressed increases of sneezes, SP and CGRP dose-relatedly. Conclusion: Rosmarinic acid could control the symptom of nasal allergy, and one of the mechanisms was suppressing of the secretion of SP and CGRP.

Yokukansan (YKS), one of the traditional Japanese “Kampo” medicines, is a mixture of extract powders from seven kinds of medicinal herbs (Atractylodis Lanceae Rhizoma, Hoelen, Cnidii Rhizoma, Uncariae Uncis Cum Ramulus, Angelicae Radix, Bupleuri Radix, and Glycyrrhizae Radix). YKS has been administered to fragile habitus patients who show symptoms such as emotional irritability, neurosis and insomnia, and to infants who suffer from night crying and convulsions. In recent years, YKS has been reported to be effective against pain disorders such as headache and chronic pain, but the mechanism underlying these beneficial effects is still unclear. In this study, the effect of YKS on chronic inflammatory pain and stress caused by pain were investigated using rats with adjuvant arthritis.
Male Wistar rats were injected with complete Freund's adjuvant into the plantar surface of the right hindpaw, and then pain thresholds and stress markers were measured. The thermal pain threshold measured with the plantar test significantly decreased, and the level of salivary chromogranin A (CgA), which is used as a mental stress marker, was significantly increased in this model. The administration of YKS controlled the activation of spinal microglia involved in the expression of chronic pain, and significantly reduced a decrease in the pain threshold. Moreover, an increase in the level of salivary CgA was significantly inhibited. The authors concluded that YKS has effects in reducing chronic inflammatory pain and the stress caused by pain.

It has been reported that the effect of shoseiryuto, a traditional Japanese “Kampo” medicine, on allergic rhinitis depends on several mechanisms. Previously, we reported that shoseiryuto administered in an allergic rhinitis rat model, inhibited increases of substance P (SP) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in the nasal mucus, which in turn are involved in the exacerbation of rhinitis symptoms and allergic symptoms. In the present research, we looked into whether the secretion of SP and CGRP are directly inhibited by the administration of shoseiryuto.
Histamine solution 5µl (10 mg/ml) was instilled in both nostrils of healthy, male SD rats, thereby inducing allergic symptoms, and for the group to which shoseiryuto had been pre-administered, increase in the concentration of SP and CGRP in the nasal mucus was significantly inhibited. Moreover, upon investigating SP and CGRP production in the trigeminal ganglia by means of immunostaining, it was found to be similarly significantly inhibited. The above results indicate that shoseiryuto directly inhibits the secretion of SP and CGRP in the C-fibers of nasal mucosa.

At the 71st Annual Meeting of the Japan Society for Oriental Medicine held in August 2021, we conducted a special program focusing on Kampo medicine education, “Pre-graduation post-graduation Kampo medicine education for the next generation.” The following is a summary report on the practical training in Kampo medicine at each educational facility where the project was conducted. We recorded videos with explanations of topics in advance : “Four examinations,” “Decoction and crude drugs,” and “Acupuncture and moxibustion.” The report on the hands-on training in Kampo medicine was viewed 501 times by medical students, educators, and the society members across the country. This initiative was the first nationwide educational activity of the society.