2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

Elucidation of the mechanism of renal dysfunction improvement by Kampo treatment

Research Project

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Project/Area Number	16K09259
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
Allocation Type	Multi-year Fund
Section	一般
Research Field	General internal medicine(including psychosomatic medicine)
Research Institution	Tokai University
Principal Investigator	ARAI Makoto 東海大学, 医学部, 教授 (30222722)
Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha)	梶原景正東海大学, 医学部, 講師 (00204397) 中田佳延東海大学, 医学部, 講師 (40594578) 木村穣東海大学, 医学部, 教授 (10146706) 石井直明東海大学, 健康学部, 教授 (60096196)
Project Period (FY)	2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
Keywords	黄耆 / 急性腎障害 / マウス / 血清尿素窒素 / 血清クレアチニン / シスプラチン
Outline of Final Research Achievements	We examined an effect of Astragalus membranaceus (AM) against chronic kidney disease (CKD). Here we focused on acute kidney injury (AKI) as a promoting factor for CKD. Generally, 20 mg/kg cisplatin is used for AKI experimental model. In this situation, cisplatin-AKI is generated also in young mice (10 weeks old) as well as in old mice (52 weeks old), but few AM effects could find both groups. In reduced dose (14 mg/kg) of cisplatin treatment, we found significant increases of serum BUN or CRE and histological damages in renal tubule epithelial cells and glomeruluses especially in old mice. However, the old mice treated with Astragalus in advance could almost prevent these pathological changes. On the other hand, young mice showed no particular pathological finding, indicating AM could only prevent moderate cisplatin-AKI in old mice. However, this evidence suggests the possibility that AM improves daily generated minor problems such as moderate AKI that is promoting CKD.
Free Research Field	漢方医学
Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements	我が国はすでに超高齢化社会を迎え、高騰する国民医療費を抑制するために慢性腎疾患（CKD）患者の透析導入遅延は喫緊の課題となっている。本来は進行したCKDの治療だけでなく、発症の予防とともに、発病初期のうちに正常に回復させることが重要であるが、西洋医学にはその進行を抑える有効な薬剤は見当たらない。本研究の成果として、漢方生薬として古来用いられてきた黄耆の腎機能改善作用に着目し、そのメカニズムの一部を解明した。黄耆は日本薬局方に収載された保険適用がある生薬で、臨床ではCKD患者の医療費抑制やQOL向上が期待できるため、本研究成果により、今後は西洋医学治療の中に積極的に応用されることが期待される。