Effects of bakumondoto on neuropeptide levels in human saliva and plasma

• Published in: Journal of Traditional Medicines Vol. 26; no. 3; pp. 122 - 130
• Main Authors: TAKEYAMA, Masaharu, ITOH, Hiroki, SATOH, Yuhki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Medical and Pharmaceutical Society for WAKAN-YAKU 2009; 和漢医薬学会
• Subjects: bakumondoto; calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP); saliva secretion; substance P; xerostomia
• ISSN: 1880-1447; 1881-3747
• DOI: 10.11339/jtm.26.122

Bakumondoto is empirically used to treat to dry mouth (xerostomia) associated with salivary gland dysfunction. Salivary glands are supplied with nerve fibers that contain neruopeptides, such as substance P, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP). These neuropeptides are important modulators of salivation. We studied the effect of bakumondoto on substance P-, CGRP-, VIP-like immunoreactive substances (IS) in saliva and plasma taken from healthy subjects. Bakumondoto (18.0 g) or placebo was orally administered to five healthy males. Saliva and blood samples were taken before, and at 20-240 min after administration, followed by the extracting procedure, and submitted to a highly sensitive enzyme immunoassay system for neuropeptides. A single oral administration of bakumondoto caused significant increases in saliva substance P- and CGRP-IS levels compared with placebo. And this medicine tended to raise saliva volume. In this study, we concluded bakumondoto might affect substance P and CGRP locally in the salivary gland and the elevated levels of these neuropeptides might stimulate production of saliva. Also, the monitoring of saliva and plasma neuropeptide levels might be able to predict the pharmacologic effects of bakumondoto.