Prokinetic effect of a Kampo medicine, Hange-koboku-to (Banxia-houpo-tang), on patients with functional dyspepsia.

Limited evidence is available as to whether Kampo medicine modifies gastrointestinal function in humans. We investigated the effect of a Kampo medicine, Hange-koboku-to (Banxia-houpo-tang, HKT), on patients with functional dyspepsia (FD) and on healthy volunteers with regard to gastric motility. The gastric emptying rate (GER) in FD patients was significantly lower than in the healthy subjects. GER in FD patients and in healthy volunteers showed a significant increase after 2 weeks of medication with HKT. Furthermore, gastrointestinal symptoms improved significantly in the FD patients after the administration of HKT. These results suggest that HKT improves delayed gastric emptying and acts as a prokinetic agent.

[Production of a monoclonal antibody against Cry j 2].

The peptide possessing N-terminal 10 amino acid sequence of Cry j 2 was chemically synthesized and conjugated to KLH-carrier protein. Rabbits were immunized with this haptenized protein and the antibody (N-10 antibody) was obtained. Cross-blot analysis revealed that N-10 antibody recognized the hapten moiety. Purification of Cry j 2 was carried out with monitoring its reactivity with N-10 antibody. The substance reactive to N-10 antibody existed in the DEAE-Sephadex unadsorbed fraction. The substance reactive to N-10 antibody was subjected to CM-Sephadex equilibrated with 10 mM acetate buffer (pH 5.0). In contrast to the previous report on Cry j 2, the substance reactive to N-10 antibody existed in the CM-Sephadex unadsorbed fraction. The CM-Sephadex unadsorbed fraction was concentrated with 80% saturated ammonium sulfate, and applied to a Superdex pg 200 column. The major peak of protein was regarded as the final preparation and was subjected to SDS-PAGE. The substance reactive to N-10 antibody had a MW of 40 kDa under reducing and 37 kDa under non-reducing conditions, respectively. Furthermore, the substance reactive to N-10 antibody showed potent allergenic activity. These data completely agreed with the previous data on Cry j 2 and strongly suggested that the final preparation contained a large amount of Cry j 2. BALB/c mice were immunized intraperitoneally with the final preparation to produce a monoclonal antibody against Cry j 2. Eleven clones reacting to the final preparation were obtained, and the antibodies produced from these clones did not react with purified Cry j 1.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Natural history of duodenal ulcer detected by the gastric mass surveys in men over 40 years of age.

In a gastric mass survey with photofluorography performed on 10,605 male office workers over 40 years of age, 456 cases of duodenal ulcer (4.3%) were detected. These cases were scheduled to be followed up every 6 months with endoscopy and without any anti-ulcer drugs. Two hundred and seventy-six of the cases, including 169 cases with craters and 107 cases with scars, were followed up for 2 years. Forty-one of 169 craters (24.3%) had healed, and 21 of 107 scars (19.6%) had relapsed at 6 months. At 24 months 36 of 169 craters (21.3%) had healed, and 31 of 107 scars (29.0%) had relapsed. Sixty-four and a half per cent of the ulcers that showed crater at entry remained at the crater stage, and 62.6% of ulcer scars at entry remained healed at every endoscopy during the trial period. With regard to the cases' background, cigarette smoking adversely affected the natural history of the duodenal ulcer. However, years after onset, previous treatment, history of overt bleeding, and alcohol and coffee consumption did not affect the present ulcer activity.