Hirokuni Okumi

Dietary agonists of TRPV1 inhibit gastric acid secretion in mice.

Capsaicin and 6-gingerol, pungent components of chilli pepper and ginger, are known as dietary agonists of transient receptor potential vanilloid-1. Transient receptor potential vanilloid-1 nerve fibers are recognized to play a role in gastric mucosal integrity in rats. In the present studies, we examined the acute effects of peroral administration of capsaicin and 6-gingerol on gastric acid secretion in conscious mice. These agents were given p. o. 30 min before the pylorus was ligated. Oral administration of capsaicin (1.0-100 mg/kg) or 6-gingerol (1.5-50 mg/kg) significantly and dose-dependently inhibited basal acid secretion. Pretreatment with BCTC, a transient receptor potential vanilloid-1 antagonist, significantly reversed the reduced basal acid secretion by capsaicin or 6-gingerol. The combination of the lowest doses of capsaicin and 6-gingerol markedly inhibited basal acid secretion in conscious mice and this was also significantly reversed by BCTC. Moreover, the combination of the maximal dose of capsaicin and 6-gingerol inhibited basal acid secretion only to the level of a single administration of the maximal dose of capsaicin. These results suggest that the combination of capsaicin and 6-gingerol has an additive effect on the inhibition of gastric acid secretion through activation of transient receptor potential vanilloid-1. In separate experiments, intraduodenal administration of either capsaicin (30 mg/kg) or 6-gingerol (15 mg/kg), whose doses were observed to have a significant inhibitory effect by oral administration, tended to inhibit basal acid secretion compared with the vehicle. These results suggest that the combination of capsaicin and 6-gingerol has an additive effect on inhibition of gastric acid secretion through activation of transient receptor potential vanilloid-1, and oral administration of transient receptor potential vanilloid-1 agonists directly stimulates transient receptor potential vanilloid-1 in the gastric lumen, resulting in a potent reduction of gastric acid secretion.

Application of Keishikaryojutsubuto for Extraarticular Symptoms

桂枝加苓朮附湯は『方機』を出典とし，神経痛や関節痛を目標に使用されてきた。今回，我々はクローン病，子宮内膜症，直腸癌術後，急性胃腸炎，メニエル病に対して本方を投与し，奏効した諸例を経験した。本方を処方する際には『皇漢医学』に記載されているように桂枝加芍薬湯と真武湯あるいは苓桂朮甘湯の方意を持つことを念頭に置くことが重要であり，様々な疾患に対して応用が可能であると考えられた。