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The effects of the Kampo medicine (Japanese herbal medicine) “Daikenchuto” on the surgical inflammatory response following laparoscopic colorectal resection

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Abstract

Purposes

The inflammatory response after surgery is associated with various postoperative complications. The aim of the present prospective study was to evaluate the effects of Daikenchuto (DKT) (a Japanese herbal medicine) on the inflammatory response in patients following laparoscopic colorectal resection.

Methods

Thirty patients who underwent laparoscopic colectomy for colorectal carcinoma were divided into two groups: a DKT intake group (D group, n = 15) and a control group (C group, n = 15). The D group took 7.5 g/day of DKT from the day after surgery until the 7th postoperative day. The body temperature, heart rate, WBC count, lymphocyte count, C-reactive protein (CRP) level, β-d-glucan level and Candida index were compared between the two groups.

Results

The patients’ mean age in the D group was significantly younger than that in the C group. D3 lymph node dissection was performed more often in the D group. The time until first flatus was significantly shorter in the D group (1.8 ± 0.5 days) than in the C group (2.7 ± 0.5 days). The CRP level was significantly lower in the D group (4.6 ± 0.6 mg/dl) than in the C group (8.3 ± 1.1 mg/dl) on the 3rd postoperative day.

Conclusions

Postoperative DKT administration significantly suppressed the CRP level and shortened the time until first flatus. DKT administration also significantly suppressed postoperative inflammation following surgery for colorectal cancer.

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Conflict of interest

Drs. Kozo Yoshikawa, Mitsuo Shimada, Masanori Nishioka, Nobuhiro Kurita, Takashi Iwata, Jun Higashijima, Tomohiko Miyatani, Motoya Chikakiyo, Toshihiro Nakao, and Masato Komatsu have no conflicts of interest or financial ties to disclose.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Institute of Health Biosciences, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Japan, 3-18-15 Kuramoto, Tokushima, Tokushima, 770-8503, Japan

    Kozo Yoshikawa, Mitsuo Shimada, Masanori Nishioka, Nobuhiro Kurita, Takashi Iwata, Shinya Morimoto, Tomohiko Miyatani, Masato Komatsu, Hideya Kashihara & Chie Mikami

Authors
  1. Kozo Yoshikawa
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  2. Mitsuo Shimada
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  3. Masanori Nishioka
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  4. Nobuhiro Kurita
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  5. Takashi Iwata
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  6. Shinya Morimoto
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  7. Tomohiko Miyatani
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  8. Masato Komatsu
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  9. Hideya Kashihara
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  10. Chie Mikami
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mitsuo Shimada.

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Yoshikawa, K., Shimada, M., Nishioka, M. et al. The effects of the Kampo medicine (Japanese herbal medicine) “Daikenchuto” on the surgical inflammatory response following laparoscopic colorectal resection. Surg Today 42, 646–651 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00595-011-0094-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00595-011-0094-4

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