Effects of Kampo (Japanese Herbal) Medicine “Sho-Saiko-To” on DNA-Synthesizing Enzyme Activity in 1,2-Dimethylhydrazine-Induced Colonic Carcinomas in Rats

Shinobu Sakamoto; Takao Mori; Keiko Sawaki; Yasuyuki Kawachi; Katsuhiko Kuwa; Hideki Kudo; Satoe Suzuki; Yoshie Sugiura; Noriyuki Kasahara; Hiroshi Nagasawa

doi:10.1055/s-2006-959632

Planta Med 1993; 59(2): 152-154
DOI: 10.1055/s-2006-959632

Papers

Effects of Kampo (Japanese Herbal) Medicine “Sho-Saiko-To” on DNA-Synthesizing Enzyme Activity in 1,2-Dimethylhydrazine-Induced Colonic Carcinomas in Rats

Shinobu Sakamoto¹ , Takao Mori² , Keiko Sawaki³ , Yasuyuki Kawachi¹ , Katsuhiko Kuwa¹ , Hideki Kudo¹ , Satoe Suzuki¹ , Yoshie Sugiura¹ , Noriyuki Kasahara¹ , Hiroshi Nagasawa³

¹Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45, Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113, Japan
²Zoological Institute, Faculty of Science, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113, Japan
³Experimental Animal Research Laboratory, Meiji University, Tama-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 214, Japan

Abstract

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Abstract

Sho-Saiko-To (SST) is a modified Japanese traditional Chinese herbal medicine containing seven medical plants: Bupleuri radix, Pinelliae tuber, Suxtallariae radix, Zizyphi fructus, Ginseng radix, Glycyrrhizae radix, and Zingiberis recens rhizoma. This preparation has been used in the treatment of some inflammatory diseases of the respiratory system and chronic hepatitis. In the present study, the effects of SST were investigated on the activities of DNA-synthesizing enzymes in 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH)-induced colonic carcinomas in rats. Six-week administration of SST prevented nearly 100% of the body weight loss and the final number of the colonic carcinomas compared to those in the rats treated with DMH alone, and suppressed the enhanced activities of thymidylate synthetase (TS) and thymidine kinase (TK) which were involved in the de novo and salvage pathways of pyrimidine synthesis, respectively, in DMH-induced colonic carcinomas. These results indicate that SST may show directly and/or indirectly inhibitory effects on the development of colonic carcinomas.

Key words

Kampo medicine - Sho-Saiko-To - colonic carcinoma - DNA-synthesizing enzyme

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