Combined effects of Japanese‐Sino medicine ‘Kakkon‐to‐ka‐senkyu‐shin'i’ and its related combinations and component drugs on adjuvant‐induced inflammation in mice

Kakkon‐to‐ka‐senkyu‐shin'i (KSS), a Japanese‐Sino medicine consists of nine crude drugs: pueraria, ephedra, cnidium, magnolia, cassia, peony, liquorice, ginger and jujube. It has long been used clinically in the treatment of nasal inflammation. The antiinflammatory effects of KSS, its related combinations, and component crude drugs were investigated on adjuvant‐induced air pouch granuloma in mice. KSS was effective in inhibiting the inflammatory process of pouch fluid exudation, inflammatory cell migration and angiogenesis. Antiangiogenic effects were additive between (1) Keishi‐to and the combination of pueraria + ephedra + cnidium + magnolia in KSS, (2) Keishi‐to and the combination of pueraria + ephedra in Kakkon‐to, and (3) cnidium and magnolia in the combination of cnidium + magnolia. Inhibitory effects on inflammatory cell migration were also additive between (4) cnidium and magnolia in the combination of cnidium + magnolia, and were potentiative between (5) Kakkon‐to and the combination of cnidium + magnolia in KSS, (6) (pueraria+ephedra) and (cnidium + magnolia) in the combination of pueraria + ephedra + cnidium + magnolia, and (7) pueraria and ephedra in the combination of pueraria + ephedra. The main component crude drugs and combination in KSS for antiinflammation were magnolia and pueraria for angiogenesis, magnolia and ephedra for pouch fluid exudation, and pueraria + ephedra + cnidium + magnolia for inflammatory cell migration.