Renal Diseases and Abnormal Lipid Metabolism / Journal of Rural Medicine

Abnormal lipid metabolism associated with various renal diseases has been known for a long time. Hypercholesterolemia is one of the characteristic features of nephotic syndrome, and hypertriglyceridemia is often observed in chronic renal failure (CRF). The role of lipid abnormalities in the pathogenesis of renal diseases has been variously discussed. However, direct evidence only recently became possible when more sophisticated analyses of renal histopathology as well as an application of molecular biology were introduced in the field of clinical nephrology. The recent identification of lipoprotein nephropathy (LPG), reported most often by Japanese authors since 1989, is particularly noteworthy. The detailed analysis of lipid profiles and renal histology has been instrumental in clarifying the relationship between lipids and the kidney not only in LPG but also in other disease entities such as familial-type dyslipidemias, CRF, focal glomerulosclerosis, and diabetic nephropathy. Dyslipidemias common to these diseases, together with the presence of hypertension, cause systemic atherosclerotic lesions (including lesions in the kidney) and terminal renal failure.

Effect of Byakko-ka-ninjin-to on Interdialytic Body Weight Gain in Chronic Hemodialysis Patients / 日本東洋医学雑誌

To assess the effects of Byakko-ka-ninjin-to on thirst and body weight gain in chronic hemodialysis patients with excessive interdialytic body weight gain, 8 patients (4 men and 4 women, ranging in age from 47 to 75) were prescribed Byakko-ka-ninjin-to extract tablets, 6-12 tablets per day, for 10 weeks. In 4 of the patients, thirst symptoms improved, resulting in significant reduction of interdialytic weight gain. This effect continued to be significant even after cessation of the agent. In the cases of 4 patients whose thirst symptoms did not improve, interdialytic weight gain was not reduced either during or after treatment. For all 8 patients, there were no significant changes in cardiothoracic index, and no adverse effects or events were observed either during or after treatment. Significant reduction in interdialytic weight gain was observed only in the patients with reduced thirst, which suggests that Byakko-ka-ninjin-to allows patients to limit their weight gain by drinking less. These results suggest that Byakko-ka-ninjin-to could be a useful and safe agent to reduce excessive interdialytic body weight gain, at least in a significant cohort of chronic hemodialysis patients.