Studies on antiinflammatory effect of Japanese Oriental medicines (kampo medicines) used to treat inflammatory diseases.

This study was carried out to examine the antiinflammatory effect of aqueous extracts of Kakkon-to (K), Kakkon-oren-ogon-to (KO), Kikyo-to (KK), Haino-to (H), Haino-san (HS), Mao-to (M) and Senkinkeimei-san (SK), which have been used for the treatment of stomatitis, tonsillitis, cold and chronic inflammatory diseases, and to elucidate the mode of their effects. Oral administration of K, KO, KK, H, HS, M and SK inhibited dose-dependently the increase of dye leakage induced by acetic acid in mice. Further antiinflammatory study was carried out on KK, H and HS which showed potent inhibition. All three extracts significantly inhibited the carrageenin-induced edema and the cotton pellet-induced granuloma formation. From these results, it is suggested that KK, H and HS may inhibit both the early exudative stage and the late proliferative stage in inflammatory processes. These extracts are comprised of Platycodon root as do other crude drugs, and the root may be partly responsible for the antiinflammatory effects induced.