Health Life Science, Shitennoji University, Habikino, Osaka 583-8501, Japan.
J Integr Med. 2013 Jan;11(1):11-6. doi: 10.3736/jintegrmed2013003.
Herbal medicine in Japan is termed as Kampo medicine, which is derived from traditional Chinese medicine. Shakuyakukanzoto (Shao-Yao-Gan-Cao-Tang) as a kind of Kampo formulations is composed of just two components; Paeoniae Radix and Glycyrrhizae Radix, which produced marked relaxation of intestinal tract. Mokuboito (Mu-Fang-Ji-Tang) inhibited cardiac ionic channel currents, and as a mixture also produced great vasodilatation. Sinomenine (a main ingredient of Mokuboito) as a single compound also caused the vasodilatation, but decreased it along with ageing. Gypsum containing in Mokuboito and Chotosan (Diao-Teng-San) caused more marked effects, as compared with those without Gypsum. On the other hand, Rokumigan (Liu-Wei-Wan), Hachimijiogan (Ba-Wei-Di-Huang-Wan) and Goshajinkigan (Niu-Che-Shen-Qi-Wan) increase in order the number of contained ingredients. The formulations with more herbs (ingredients) produced much more effective actions on rat aorta, presumably due to compensation of the decline of pharmacological sensitivity with ageing. Thus, there are some important differences between single chemical drugs and mixture drugs with many ingredients. The effects of Kampo medicine (mixture) are never just a sum of each effect induced by a lot of ingredients. For elder persons, furthermore, Kampo medicine exerts more effective actions.
日本的草药医学被称为汉方药，它源自传统的中医。芍药甘草汤（Shakuyakukanzoto）是一种汉方药制剂，由芍药根和甘草根两种成分组成，能显著放松肠道。木瓜丸（Mokuboito）抑制心脏离子通道电流，作为一种混合物也能产生很大的血管扩张作用。汉防己甲素（木瓜丸的主要成分之一）作为一种单一化合物也能引起血管扩张，但随着年龄的增长，其作用会减弱。木瓜丸和独活寄生汤（Chotosan）中的石膏成分比不含石膏的药物作用更明显。另一方面，六君子汤（ Rokumigan）、八味地黄丸（Hachimijiogan）和牛蒡子汤（Goshajinkigan）所含的药材成分依次增加。含有更多草药（成分）的方剂对大鼠主动脉的作用更有效，可能是由于随着年龄的增长，药理学敏感性下降得到了补偿。因此，单一组分的化学药物和含有多种成分的混合药物之间存在一些重要差异。汉方药（混合物）的作用绝不是许多成分各自作用的简单总和。此外，汉方药对老年人的作用更为有效。
