Administration of WTTCGE to patients suffering from herpes genitalis and labialis appears to shorten the time required to obtain symptom relief as has been shown in a previous report.

Mankind has searched throughout the ages for analgesic substances. Many natural products have been exploited. Investigating plants and plant-derived metabolites has advanced the understanding of important mechanisms related to the process of pain transmission, nociception and treatment. While modern, conventional Western analgesics represent the main pain medication prescribed in Japan, the traditional Kampo medicines composed of herbs are also used in daily analgesic treatment. The national health insurance system for Kampo medicines was established in Japan in 1976. At present, 148 remedies are covered by this health insurance system. More than 70% of medical doctors in Japan prescribe Kampo medicines to patients suffering from a wide variety of problems, including menopausal symptoms, chronic diseases, pain disorders and conditions with failed or suboptimal conventional therapy. In the anesthesia departments of many large medical facilities, doctors administer Kampo medicines, alone and in combination with conventional medications, to provide analgesia. Here, an overview is given to the history and the present state of Kampo medicine use in Japan for the management of pain.

Decrease of seizure frequency and severity in three epileptic patients was achieved by adding Bu-yang-huan-wu-tang to conventional therapy according to the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory. This treatment mainly relied on the resolution of blood stagnation in cerebrovascular systems. Blood stagnation is an important underlying pathology of many disease processes according to TCM theory.

Summary: Free tryptophan in plasma was separated by centrifugation through an Amicon Ultrafiltration membrane cone. The value obtained without control of pH was found to be lower than that obtained with control of pH by an improved method (Hijikata et al. (1981) Anal. Biochem. 118, 10-16).For determination of the total tryptophan concentration in the plasma, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was better than the method of Denckla Dewey s modified by Bloxam & Warren ((1974) Anal. Biochem. 60,[621][622][623][624][625], s judged on the basis of sensitivity, recovery rate and coefficient of variance. The total tryptophan concentration in the plasma determined by HPLC was lower than that determined by theThe total tryptophan concentration (t-Trp), free tryptophan concentration (f-Trp) and f-Trp/t-Trp ratio were 55.8 ± 10.2 μιηοΐ/ΐ, 11.6 ± 1.5 μίηοΐ/ΐ and 0.211 ± 0.03 (mean ± l SD) respectively, in healthy subjects (co trols). No significant difference was observed between the values of controls and those of patients with liver cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, liver cirrhosis with hepatocellular carcinoma and hepatic encephalopathy of liver cirrhosis without bleeding. But in liver cirrhosis with bleeding, free tryptophan concentration (f-Trp, 48.0 ± 23.3 μτηοΐ/ΐ, p < 0.001) and f-Trp/t-Trp ratio (0.645 ± 0.289, p < 0.001) were significantly higher than those of controls. In fulminant hepatitis free tryptophan concentration, (f-Trp, 106.6 ± 79.9 μιηοΐ/ΐ, p < 0.02), and f-Trp/t-Trp ratio (0.973 ± 0.017, p < 0.001) were significantly higher than those of controls, and free tryptophan concentration (f-Trp) and f-Trp/t-Trp ratio (p < 0.005) were significantly higher than in liver cirrhosis with bleeding. In other words the increase of free tryptophan concentration in plasma may be related to the bleeding, and in fulminant hepatitis the binding ability of free tryptophan to albumin may decrease. In the examined cases of liver cirrhosis, the correlation of the concentration of plasma tryptophan with those of other amino acids and indicators of liver function was changed when hepatocellular carcinoma was also present.

In traditional Chinese medicine theory (TCM), the affected parts of sprains, bruises and arthritis are considered to be under certain conditions of TCM concept. We administered two Kampo medicines with synergistic effects to promote quick recovery from these conditions. Jidabokuippo (Zhidapuyifang in Chinese), which means ‘decoction for contusions’ is expected to remove these conditions. Hachimijiogan (Baweidihuangwan in Chinese), which translates as ‘eight-ingredient pill with Rehmannia’ is expected to restore presumed minute bone injury and regulates bone metabolism by changing such conditions based on TCM theory. We administered the two prescriptions to 10 patients (age range: 40–85 years; 1 male, 9 females) suffering from bruises, sprains, arthritis and spinal compression fracture without changing their routine intake of other drugs. Patients reported on changes in the pain of affected body parts by using the visual analog scale (VAS) before and after administration of Kampo medicine. In almost all cases, recovery began promptly after administration and the pain disappeared within ∼2 weeks. Large doses for a short time brought about much quicker recovery than small doses. Administration of a combination of two Kampo medicines, Jidabokuippo and Hachimijiogan, quickly resolved the pain of bruises, sprains, arthritis and one spinal compression fracture.