Abstract

To explain the theory of KIMI which is the theory of therapeutics in oriental medicine, monoamine oxidase(MAO) activities were measured in the brain and liver of mice which were orally administered oriental medicinal herbs which were classified into cold and hot drugs. Rheum palmatum, Anemarrhena asphodeloides, Gardenia jasminoides, Scutellaria baicalensis and Coptis japonica were considered as the cold drugs and Zingiber officinale, Aconitum carmichaeli, Asiasarum sieboldi, Evodia officinalis and Cinnamomum cassia were included in the hot drugs. The effects of cold and hot drugs on in vitro enzyme activities were measured and compared with the in vivo effects. Serotonin is important neurotransmetter involved in the control of body temperature. The MAO plays a central role in the metabolism of many neurotransmetter monoamines including serotonin. MAO is a flavoprotein found exclusively in the mitochondrial outer membrane, occuring in the MAO-A and MAO-B subtypes. MAO-A deaminates serotonin and noradrenaline, whereas MAO-B prefers phenylethylamine and benzylamine as substrates. Coptis japonica and Aconitum carmichaeli elevated the in vivo MAO activities and especialy, in vivo MAO-B activities were significantly increased. In vitro MAO-A activities were increased by hot drugs, whereas the in vitro MAO-B activities were inhibited. Cold drugs inhibited both enzyme activities in vitro.

Keywords

• The theory of KIMI;
• monoamine oxidase-A;
• monoamine oxidase-B;
• cold drugs;
• hot drugs