The effects of Rikkunshi-to and Hochu-ekki-to on serum cortisol as well as on the coefficient of variation of R-R intervals of ECG (CV_R-R) were studied.
Each drug was administered 7.5g/day for 4 weeks to 23 patients with non-ulcer dyspepsia and 18 with psychovegetative syndrome, respectively.
1) In the Rikkunshi-to treated patients, the serum cortisol at 9a.m. in 7 patients with a high cortisol level decreased significantly (p<0.05), but increased in 2 of the low cortisol level patients and did not change in the 14 patients who were within the normal range. In the Hochu-ekki-to treated patients, it increased in both 3 patients of the low cortisol level group and 12 of the normal range group (p<0.05), but decreased in 3 of the high cortisol level group. This modulatory effect of serum cortisol was consideredto be due to ACTH secretion.
2) CV_R-R, which represents the parasympathetic nervous function, showed no change in the Rikkunshi-to-treated patients. However, in the Hochu-ekki-to treated patients, it increased significantly (p<0.05) in those in whom their pretreatment levels were lower than their ages.
These results suggest that the above drugs have modulatory effects on the adrenal cortex and autonomic nervous function. This effect is thus considered to be a beneficial one for stress-related disorders.