Daikenchuto increases blood flow in the superior mesenteric artery in humans: A comparison study between four-dimensional phase-contrast vastly undersampled isotropic projection reconstruction magnetic resonance imaging and Doppler ultrasound

PLoS One. 2021 Jan 27;16(1):e0245878. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0245878. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

Respiratory-gated four-dimensional phase-contrast vastly undersampled isotropic projection reconstruction (4D PC-VIPR) is magnetic resonance (MR) imaging technique that enables analysis of vascular morphology and hemodynamics in a single examination using cardiac phase resolved 3D phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging. The present study aimed to assess the usefulness of 4D PC-VIPR for the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) flowmetry before and after flow increase was induced by the herbal medicine Daikenchuto (TJ-100) by comparing it with Doppler ultrasound (DUS) as a current standard. Twenty healthy volunteers were enrolled in this prospective single-arm study. The peak cross-sectionally averaged velocity was measured by 4D PC-VIPR, peak velocity was measured by DUS, and flow volume (FV) of SMA and aorta were measured by 4D PC-VIPR and DUS 25 min before and after the peroral administration of TJ-100. The peak cross-sectionally averaged velocity, peak velocity, and FV of SMA measured by 4D PC-VIPR and DUS significantly increased after administration of TJ-100 (4D PC-VIPR: the peak cross-sectionally averaged velocity; p = 0.004, FV; p = 0.035, DUS: the peak velocity; p = 0.003, FV; p = 0.010). Furthermore, 4D PC-VIPR can analyze multiple blood vessels simultaneously. The ratio of the SMA FV to the aorta, before and after oral administration on the 4D PC-VIPR test also increased (p = 0.015). The rate of change assessed by 4D PC-VIPR and DUS were significantly correlated (the peak cross-sectionally averaged velocity and peak velocity: r = 0.650; p = 0.005, FV: r = 0.659; p = 0.004). Retrospective 4D PC-VIPR was a useful modality for morphological and hemodynamic analysis of SMA.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Blood Flow Velocity
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging / standards*
  • Male
  • Mesenteric Arteries / diagnostic imaging*
  • Mesenteric Arteries / drug effects
  • Mesenteric Arteries / physiology
  • Panax
  • Plant Extracts / pharmacology*
  • Respiratory-Gated Imaging Techniques / methods
  • Respiratory-Gated Imaging Techniques / standards*
  • Ultrasonography, Doppler / methods
  • Ultrasonography, Doppler / standards*
  • Zanthoxylum
  • Zingiberaceae

Substances

  • Plant Extracts
  • dai-kenchu-to

Grants and funding

The authors received no specific funding for this work.