Suppression of Murine Melanoma Growth by Fermented Grain Extracts / 日本補完代替医療学会誌

We evaluated the anti-tumor activity of fermented grain extracts using a mouse tumor model. An experimental diet containing materials from fermented rice germ, wheat germ, hulled rice, soybean and seaweed (fermented materials, FM) was fed to 4-week-old female C57BL6 mice for 14 days prior to and 21 days following the subcutaneous implantation of B16 melanoma (5×10 ⁵ cells/mouse). FM retarded tumor growth and increased the duration of host survival. We further examined the anti-tumor activity of FM using the B16 metastasis model. An experimental diet containing FM was fed to C57BL6 mice for 14 days prior to and 21 days following B16 tail vein administration (5×10⁴ cells/mouse). The decrease in observed metastasis in the lungs of mice treated with FM was also significant. In order to identify this anti-tumor activity of FM, NK-activity in the FM fed mice was evaluated. However, the values were comparable to the control mice. These results suggest that the fermented grain extracts induce anti tumor activity <i>in vivo</i>, although the mechanism of this activity is not yet clear.<br>

Structural and Morphometric Studies of the Curative Effects of Moxibustion Treatments for Diabetic Hepatic Injuries Following Administration of Streptozotocin / 全日本鍼灸学会雑誌

To analyze the curative effects of moxibustion for rat diabetic hepatic injuries caused by the administration ofsteptozotocin (STZ), the authors designed ultrastructural studies using light microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and image processing.<BR>Wistar male rats (44 animals) were divided into 4 groups. The first group (10 animals) was used as the control. The second group (14 animals) was a diabetic group injected I.P. with 50 mg/kg BW of STZ on the first experimental day. The third and fourth groups (10 animals each) were the curative groups, which were given moxibustion treatments of 5 half-rice grains of moxa, three times a week following STZ administration. Used acupoints were Tian Men (3rd group) and Tian Ping (4th group) according to the animal acupoint chart.<BR>First, light and electron microscopices were used to observe, the hepatic parenchymal cells, and light and electron micrographs were obtained. The electron micrographs were used to analyze the distribution of glycogen granules including its glycogen areas, fat droplets and autophagic vacuoles using an image processing method.<BR>The results were as follows : Normal control hepatocytes contained moderate volumes of glycogen areas and glycogen granules, but a few hepatocytes were without fat droplets or autophagic vacuoles. On the other hand, thehepatocytes, that had been treated with only STZ, were injured, and contained a number of fat droplets andautophagic vacuoles, but glycogen areas and glycogen granules had decreased. The hepatocytes of the rats treatedwith both STZ and moxibustion recovered to their normal state, suggesting that moxibustion treatment had curativeeffects for the rat hepatic dabetic injuries caused by the administration of STZ.