Traditional Japanese Formula Kigikenchuto Accelerates Healing of Pressure-Loading Skin Ulcer in Rats. (16th May 2011)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kimura, Mari; Shibahara, Naotoshi; Hikiami, Hiroaki; Yoshida, Toshiko; Jo, Michiko; Kaneko, Maria; Nogami, Tatsuya; Fujimoto, Makoto; Goto, Hirozo; Shimada, Yutaka
• Is Part Of: Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine. Volume 2011(2011)
• Publication Date: 2011-05-16
• Subjects: Alternative medicine -- Periodicals; 615.505
• DOI: 10.1155/2011/592791
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1741-427X

Abstract

Abstract : We evaluated the effect of kigikenchuto (KKT), a traditional Japanese formula, in a modified rat pressure-loading skin ulcer model. Rats were divided into three groups, KKT extract orally administered (250 or 500 mg/kg/day for 35 days) and control. KKT shortened the duration until healing. Immunohistochemically, KKT increased CD-31-positive vessels in early phase and increased α-smooth muscle actin-(α-SMA-) positive fibroblastic cells in early phase and decreased them in late phase of wound healing. By Western blotting, KKT showed the potential to decrease inflammatory cytokines (MCP-1, IL-1β, and TNF-α) in early phase, decrease vascular endothelial growth factor in early phase and increase it in late phase, and modulate the expression of extracellular protein matrix (α-SMA, TGF-β1, bFGF, collagen III, and collagen I). These results suggested the possibility that KKT accelerates pressure ulcer healing through decreases of inflammatory cytokines, increase of angiogenesis, and induction of extracellular matrix remodeling.