Bone is continuously remodeled by bone resorption and formation and, accordingly, bone metabolism is tightly regulated to maintain homeostasis. Deviation from the normal conditions of bone resorption can result in bone diseases. Lipid rafts are specialized plasma membrane microdomains that are enriched with glycosphingolipids, sphingomyelin and cholesterol. Lipid rafts are important for the transport of select membranes and relay stations involved in intracellular signaling.To investigate the role of lipid rafts in RAW264 cells signaling, lipid rafts were disrupted by depleting cholesterol through the introduction of methyl-β-cyclodextrin (MβCD). We found that sRANKL-induced differentiation into osteoclasts was markedly inhibited by MβCD in a dose-dependent manner. MβCD enhanced the sRANKL-induced phosphorylation of ERK1/2 MAP kinase. In contrast, MβCD blocked the phosphorylation of IκB. These findings suggest that cholesterol might play a crucial role in the regulation of the sRANKL-mediated signaling pathway and in osteoclast differentiation of RAW264 cells, thereby reflecting its importance in the formation of plasma membrane lipid rafts.

We experienced a case of post-operative complication and chronic pain due to left pyeloplasty and uterine myomectomy successfully treated with Kampo medicine. A 55-year-old woman underwent pyeloplasty for ureteropelvic junction obstruction, and ureteral stent for ureteral stenosis caused by synechia after uterine myomectomy. She suffered from post-operative complication and chronic pain, which was becoming severe, and had a depressed mood. She visited our outpatient clinic for Kampo therapy. We prescribed bukuryoingohangekobokuto on the diagnoses such as qi deficiency, qi stagnation, and water retention. Her symptoms disappeared with this formulation. This case suggests the importance of considering qi disturbance when we treat patients with chronic pain using Kampo medicine.

The source of ryokankyomishingeninto, which has been used for chronic respiratory and nasal diseases by using “sunken pulse” as an indication, is the Jin-kui-yao-lue text. We, however, experienced a case of allergic rhinitis presenting with “floating pulse” successfully treated with ryokankyomishingeninto. On the basis of this case, we investigated efficacy with ryokankyomishingeninto in 16 other patients who visited our outpatient clinic from January 2007 to March 2008, and who had the all of same remarks in pulse diagnoses and nasal symptoms, such as nasal obstruction, and rhinorrhea or respiratory symptoms such as wheeze and shortness of breathing. As a result, ryokankyomishingeninto improved symptoms in all these patients. All the adult cases had a “stuck feeling in pit of stomach”. Furthermore, they had either a “water dabbling sound in the stomach”, or “cold area on the epigastrium”.
symptoms <1> ; Nasal ; Pulse taking ; Cases ; Respiratory

In recent years, we have been told that the western medicine has developed the techniques of treatments on cancer, but the truth is that very few practical accomplishments has been made, while death rate from cancer has been steadily increasing. Although acupuncture has been thought to be ineffective in the treatments of cancer, nowadays we find some reports concerning its effectiveness in palliative cares, improvements of quality of life (QOL) and cancer regressions. Thus, this symposium was planned to investigate this theme. There were reports from appointed speakers on the acupuncturists' feelings of swung back and forth between joy and despair when treating patients with cancer, the experiences in treating her parents who died of lung cancer, and the patients who failed or rejected to be treated in western medicine but successfully treated using acupuncture eventually.
A panelist who practices acupuncture treatments in a hospital reported the effectiveness and indications on combined application of acupuncture and standard treatments for the patients in the terminal stage of cancer. He also reported that no correlation had been found between effective rates and duration (frequency) of treatments neither between stages (duration) of disorders and efficacy. Furthermore, if the environment of acupuncture treatment is well organized, he mentioned that acupuncture can produce a good deal of effect even in patients with terminal stage. He also reported that acupuncture will be able to influence on the physiology in autonomic nervous system, leading to the hyperactivity of parasympathetic nerve.
A panelist who practices his acupuncture treatments based on the theory of Professor Abo reported the effectiveness of acupuncture in improving QOL and in prolonging one's life. He showed an actual situation of the patient with scirrhous carcinoma who had prolonged his life for a long period using acupuncture treatment. He also demonstrated that radiotherapy, one of the three major medical treatments for cancer, will deprive the resistance of the patients.
A panelist who advocates salutogenesis demonstrated the possibility of the direct effectiveness of acupuncture treatment on cancer because acupuncture has significant effects in alleviating pains and enhancing the power of restoring human energy in patients with cancer. He mentioned the limitation of the treatments using “a theory of pathogenesis (modern medicine)” and the importance of the treatments using “a theory of salutogenesis (traditional medicine)”, and emphasized the necessity of acupuncture treatments as well as supplemental agents, and the importance of psychological approaches toward the mind of patients.
In this symposium, the efficacy of acupuncture treatments as palliative cares was indicated. Although there are few convincing evidences, the efficacy of acupuncture treatments as one of treatment methods for cancer may be demonstrated. Further integrative researches on the efficacy of acupuncture in patients with cancer are needed.

We report six cases with honton disease successfully treated with a combination of goshuyuto extract and ryokeijutsukanto extract. Five of the cases were diagnosed as panic disorder, and the remaining case as generalized anxiety disorder. All six cases complained of palpitation, nausea, dizziness, headache and anxiety attacks. We diagnosed them as a hontonto (Zhouhou fang) indication. Their various complaints disappeared after combination therapy with those extracts. Furthermore, efficacy of the combination therapy was proven to be equal to hontonto. These cases suggest that the combination therapy with goshuyuto extract and ryokeijutsukanto extract is useful in place of hontonto.

Boiogito is mentioned in Synopsis of the Golden Chamber, in which it is written to add ephedra herb for patients with cough at the end of the chapter. We experienced 4 chronic cough cases of wind-wetness syndrome or edema caused by pathogenic Wind successfully treated with boiogitokamao. Subjective symptoms such as heaviness when moving, heavy sweating, and body chills, as well as objective findings such as pallor, and a weak pulse in the most distal region of the right wrist were common in these patients. Moreover, not only cough, but also accompanying symptoms such as obesity, dysmenorrhea, and eczema were improved. Observation of these four cases suggests that boiogitokamao can be effective for the treatment of the patients with chronic cough due to wind-wetness syndrome / edema caused by the pathogenic Wind.

It is assumed that keishikaryojutsubuto was first described in the Ho-ki medical text, and it has been used to target neuralgia and the arthritic pain. We experienced cases of Crohn's disease, endometriosis, post-operative rectal carcinoma, acute gastroenteritis and Meniere's disease successfully treated with keishikaryojutsubuto. When this formulation is administered, it might be important to keep in mind the definition of prescriptions for keishikashakuyakuto and shimbuto, or ryokeijutsukanto, as described in the Kokan-igaku text. In addition, this formulation might be applicable to various other diseases.
symptoms <1> ; Application, NOS ; Acute ; Pain ; Meniere's Disease

We report six cases with honton disease successfully treated with a combination of goshuyuto extract and ryokeijutsukanto extract. Five of the cases were diagnosed as panic disorder, and the remaining case as generalized anxiety disorder. All six cases complained of palpitation, nausea, dizziness, headache and anxiety attacks. We diagnosed them as a hontonto (Zhouhou fang) indication. Their various complaints disappeared after combination therapy with those extracts. Furthermore, efficacy of the combination therapy was proven to be equal to hontonto. These cases suggest that the combination therapy with goshuyuto extract and ryokeijutsukanto extract is useful in place of hontonto.
Combined Modality Therapy ; Cases ; Treated with ; Six ; Combined

We report a case of neurogenic bladder that was successfully treated with hangebyakujutsutemmato. A 71-year-old Japanese male had difficulty in micturition because of a neurogenic bladder. We utilized hangebyakujutsutemmato on the assumption that he was suffered from qi deficiency, water retention, and qi stagnation. His symptoms disappeared with this therapy. Although kidney tonifying formulae, dampness-draining formulae, and blood stasis-resolving formulae are popular prescriptions for nerurogenic bladder, hangebyakujutsutemmato may be also effective for cases with qi deficiency, water retention, and qi stagnation.
Bladder, Neurogenic ; Treated with ; Water ; deficiency ; g <3>

We report six cases with honton disease successfully treated with a combination of goshuyuto extract and ryokeijutsukanto extract. Five of the cases were diagnosed as panic disorder, and the remaining case as generalized anxiety disorder. All six cases complained of palpitation, nausea, dizziness, headache and anxiety attacks. We diagnosed them as a hontonto (Zhouhou fang) indication. Their various complaints disappeared after combination therapy with those extracts. Furthermore, efficacy of the combination therapy was proven to be equal to hontonto. These cases suggest that the combination therapy with goshuyuto extract and ryokeijutsukanto extract is useful in place of hontonto.