Goshuyuto, a Traditional Japanese Medicine for Migraine, Inhibits Platelet Aggregation in Guinea-Pig Whole Blood

The effects of goshuyuto and chotosan, traditional Japanese medicines, on collagen-induced platelet aggregation were examined using guinea-pig blood. Goshuyuto at the concentration of 1,000 μg/mL inhibited collagen-induced platelet hyper-aggregation to the same degree as aspirin at the concentration of 100 μM, but chotosan did not. Goshuyuto is composed of four medicinal herbs. Of them, aqueous extracts of Evodiae Fructus and Zingiberis Rhizoma inhibited platelet aggregation, but aqueous extracts of Zizyphi Fructus and Ginseng Radix did not. Two components of Zingiberis Rhizoma, 6-shogaol and 6-gingerol, also inhibited platelet aggregation. These results suggest that Evodiae Fructus and Zingiberis Rhizoma may play important roles in the anti-aggregation effects of goshuyuto and that 6-shogaol and 6-gingerol are among the active ingredients. Therefore, goshuyuto may ameliorate migraine by preventing the hyper-aggregation of platelets in migraine with aura.