The present study investigated the effects of the herbal medicine Dai-kenchu-to (DKCT) and its 4 individual ingredients on intestinal blood flow (IBF) in rats by laser Doppler flowmetry. Intraduodenal administration of DKCT (30, 100 and 300 mg/kg) increased IBF in a dose-dependent manner, whereas the mean arterial blood pressure was not affected. One of the ingredients in DKCT is dried ginger rhizome (150 mg/kg), whose main component is [6]-shogaol (2 mg/kg), both of which showed similar effects to those shown by DKCT, while the other ingredients in DKCT only slightly increased IBF or had no effect. The calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor antagonist, CGRP (8-37), completely abolished the hyperemia induced by DKCT, dried ginger rhizome and [6]-shogaol. However, the vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) receptor antagonist, [4-Cl-DPhe6, Leul7]-VIP, and atropine were less inhibitory than CGRP (8-37), and the substance P (SP) receptor antagonist, spantide, had no effect. The present study demonstrated that DKCT and one of its active components, [6]-shogaol, produced an increase in IBF which was mainly mediated by CGRP and suggests that DKCT may be useful in the treatment of intestinal ischemia-related diseases.

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Dai-kenchu-to (Da-Jian-Zhong-Tang in Chinese) is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, called kampo medicine in Japan, and is a mixture of dried ginger root, ginseng, zanthoxylum fruit, and malt sugar. This formula is known for its clinical effects on intestinal obstruction subsequent to laparotomy and on irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

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The effects of both Dai-kenchu-to and PGF(2alpha) on intestinal and uterine motility were studied in anaesthetized rabbits with force transducers implanted in the jejunum, ileum and uterus. A single intraduodenal administration of Dai-kenchu-to (300 mg/kg) enhanced the intestinal motility but not the uterine motility. However, intravenous administration of PGF(2alpha) (20 microg/kg) enhanced both intestinal and uterine motility. The effects of Dai-kenchu-to on the spontaneous contraction and contractile response of the isolated rat uterine strips to oxytocin, PGF(2alpha) or ACh were also studied. Oral administration of Dai-kenchu-to at 300 mg/kg for one week had no effect on either the spontaneous contraction or the contractile response of the uterus. These results indicate that Dai-kenchu-to may exert stimulatory effects on intestinal motility, as PGF(2alpha), but has no effect on the uterine motility, suggesting a selective effect on the gastrointestinal tract. Hence, Dai-kenchu-to may be safer than PGF(2alpha) in the treatment of postoperative adhesive ileus in women. However, more studies are needed to determine whether Dai-kenchu-to could be administered to pregnant women.