Sho-hange-ka-bukuryou-to, a traditional Chinese herbal (
Kampo) medicine, has been used to treat hyperemesis of pregnancy,
nausea and
vomiting. Most traditional
herbal medicines are prepared from several herbs. For example,
Sho-hange-ka-bukuryo-to is prepared from three herbs: Pinelliae Tuber,
Zingiberis Rhizoma and Hoelen. Thus, to determine the precise mechanism of the pharmacological effects of Chinese
herbal medicines is too difficult. So we have elucidated the effect of some Chinese
herbal medicines by examining the change of the plasma levels of brain-gut
peptides. In this study, we investigated the effects of
Sho-hange-ka-bukuryo-to on the plasma levels of gut-regulated
peptides (
gastrin,
somatostatin,
motilin and
vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP)) and gastrointestinal mucosa regulatory
neuropeptides (
calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and
substance P) in healthy human subjects. A single
oral administration of
Sho-hange-ka-bukuryo-to caused significant increases in plasma
somatostatin-, CGRP- and
substance P-immunoreactive substance (IS) levels, compared with a placebo group. Transient elevation of
gastrin-IS levels in the placebo group was inhibited by the administration of
Sho-hange-ka-bukuryo-to, but the medicine showed no effects on plasma
motilin- or VIP-IS levels. In conclusion, these results might indicate that the pharmacological action of
Sho-hange-ka-bukuryo-to is closely related to changes in
gastrin-,
somatostatin-, CGRP- and
substance P-IS levels in human plasma.