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Atopic dermatitis (AD) is an inflammatory skin disease caused by several factors. This is a major global problem in industrialized and industrializing countries. Japanese traditional herbal medicines, called Kampo medicines, have a long history in Japan and China for the treatment of various skin diseases such as AD. They also have antioxidant, antiinflammatory, and antiallergy activities. The preventive and therapeutic effects of Kampo medicines are associated with their antiinflammatory and antioxidant properties. Animal and clinical studies suggest that Kampo medicines are useful for treating inflammatory skin diseases, which might promote the use of Kampo medicines to develop new therapeutic agents for AD. Here we discuss the reported effects Kampo medicine treatment for inflammatory skin diseases and AD, with a focus on the molecular basis of this effect.

Autoimmune diseases (AIDs) are chronic inflammatory diseases caused by abnormal immune system function due to the influence of environmental factors, viruses/bacteria, and genetic factors. AIDs show a pattern of remission and recurrence and they are difficult to diagnose because the specific disorders have different possible symptoms and individual symptoms vary, which can be dangerous. Kampo medicine has a long traditional history in Japan and has been widely utilized in many nations for centuries to care for numerous diseases. The prophylactic and curative properties of Kampo medicines are linked with their antiinflammatory and immune-modulating properties. Here, we highlight the ameliorative effect of Kampo medicines in AIDs, especially in rheumatoid arthritis, with an emphasis on the molecular basis of this effect.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is the most common metabolic disorder associated with high mortality, which is mostly due to its cardiovascular complications. Diabetic cardiomyopathy (CM) is characterized by abnormal ventricular function in the absence of DM-associated risk factors such as obesity, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, or coronary artery disease. Oxidative stress plays a pivotal role in the development of diabetic CM, in which chronic hyperglycemia plays a major role. As this develops, the endogenous antioxidant system becomes suppressed and so cannot counter-balance the increased oxidative stress. The metabolic abnormalities of DM cause mitochondrial superoxide overproduction, which further enhances the production of other reactive species, including nitric oxide, hydroxyl radical, hydrogen peroxide and peroxy nitrite, causing aggravation of the myocardial damage. In addition, free-radical-mediated platelet activation in the narrowed arteries culminates in acute myocardial infarction and stroke, indirectly affecting cardiac function. This chapter focuses on various aspects of the oxidative stress induced by reactive species during the pathogenesis of diabetic CM.