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A critical scoping review of external uses of comfrey (Symphytum spp).
Frost R, Macpherson H, O'Meara S. Complement Ther Med. 2013 Dec;21(6):724-45. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2013.09.009. Epub 2013 Oct 8. Univ of York, UK. Electronic address: rachael.frost@gcu.ac.uk
BACKGROUND: External preparations of the herb comfrey (most commonly Symphytum officinale L.) are widely available for OTC, practitioner and healthcare professional usage. Traditional practice suggests comfrey can be used to treat musculoskeletal disorders, wounds and various other conditions; however a full and critical coverage of the evidence base has not yet been undertaken.
METHODS: A critical scoping review was undertaken. Six bibliographic databases, 10 grey literature databases and nine trials registers were searched plus reference lists of included studies and a descriptive overview of comfrey. Randomised or non-randomised clinical trials assessing the external use of comfrey for any indication were included and methodological and reporting quality were assessed. Observational studies were included only in the assessment of adverse events. Studies were grouped and summarised according to the type of indication treated. RESULTS: Of 1348 identified records, 64 full texts were screened for inclusion and 26 were included in the review - 13 RCTs, 5 non-randomised controlled trials and 8 observational studies evaluating treatments for ankle distortion, back pain, abrasion wounds, venous leg ulcers and osteoarthritis. The majority of included trials had an overall unclear risk of bias due to poor quality of reporting. Few adverse events were reported.
CONCLUSIONS: Individual clinical trials showed evidence of benefit for ankle distortion, back pain, abrasion wounds and osteoarthritis. Topical application appears to be safe but further rigorous assessment is needed. Systematic reviews focussing on particular indications may clarify the treatment effect and safety of external comfrey preparations. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. PMID: 24280482 [PubMed - in process]
Antiinflammatory, Gastrointestinal and Hepatoprotective Effects of Ocimum Sanctum Linn: an Ancient Remedy With New Application.
Kamyab AA, Eshraghian A. Inflamm Allergy Drug Targets. 2013 Nov 24. [Epub ahead of print] Dept of Internal Medicine, Namazi Hospital, Shiraz, Iran. Eshraghiana@yahoo.com Herbal medicine has a long background equal to history of humankind. Several plants have been used as remedies in ancient Persian, Egyptian, Chinese and Indian civilizations. The plant Ocimum sanctum Linn. (Tulsi) is one of these medicinal plants with a wide variety of applications in traditional medicine. We reviewed current literature about Antiinflammatory, gastric and hepatoprotective properties of ocimum sanctum. In modern era, it has been shown to be effective against diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cancers, bronchitis, and found to have anti-microbial properties. Several experimental studies have confirmed its Antiinflammatory properties and its role in modulation of both cellular and humeral immunity. Recently its efficacy against inflammatory response, hepatic injury and gastric ulcer has been elucidated in animal studies. In liver, essential oils and extracts of ocimum sanctum could prevent oxidative stress by increasing glutathione peroxidae and catalase and were also effective in prevention of hepatic steatosis. In gastric epithelial tissue different derivatives of ocimum sanctum had anti-ulcer and anti-secretory characteristics and could heal gastric ulceration. These beneficial properties of this medicinal plant can mainly contribute to its major biochemically active constituents like eugenol, carvacrol, ursolic acid, β-caryophyllene and rosmarinic acid.
PMID: 24266685 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Attenuation of diabetic nephropathy by Chaihuang-Yishen granule through Antiinflammatory mechanism in streptozotocin-induced rat model of diabetics.
Zhang H, Zhao T, Gong Y, Dong X, Zhang W, Sun S, Wang H, Gu Y, Lu X, Yan M, Li P. J Ethnopharmacol. 2013 Nov 22. pii: S0378-8741(13)00814-3. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2013.11.020. [Epub ahead of print] Dept of Pharmacology, Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing 100029, PRC.
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: TCM herbs have been used in China for a long time to treat different diseases. Based on TCM principle, Chaihuang-Yishen granule (CHYS) has been employed clinically to treat chronic kidney disease including diabetic nephropathy (DN). The present study was designed to investigate its mechanism of action in treatment of DN. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Diabetic rats were established by having a right uninephrectomy plus a single intraperitoneal injection of STZ. Rats were divided into four groups of sham, diabetes, diabetes with CHYS and diabetes with fosinopril. CHYS and fosinopril were given to rats by gavage for 20 weeks. Samples from blood, urine and kidney were collected for biochemical, histological, immunohistochemical and molecular analyses. RESULTS: Rats treated with CHYS showed reduced 24h urinary protein excretion, decreased serum TC and TG levels, but CHYS treatment did not affect blood glucose level. Glomerular mesangial expansion and tubulointerstitial fibrosis in diabetic rats were significantly alleviated by CHYS treatment. Moreover, CHYS administration markedly reduced mRNA levels of NF-κB p65 and TGF-β1, as well as decreased protein levels of NF-κB p65, MCP-1, TNF-α and TGF-β1 in the kidney of diabetic rats. CONCLUSIONS: CHYS ameliorates renal injury in diabetic rats through reduction of inflammatory cytokines and their intracellular signaling. © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. PMID: 24269779 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Biochanin a enhances the radiotoxicity in colon tumor cells in vitro.
Puthli A, Tiwari R, Mishra KP. J Environ Pathol Toxicol Oncol. 2013;32(3):189-203. Dept of Life Sciences, Univ of Mumbai, Mumbai, India; Radiological Physics & Advisory Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India. Herbs and other plant-based compounds have increasingly been recognized as useful for the prevention and treatment of cancer. There exists enormous scope for screening and evaluation of herbal/plant products to develop an effective radiosensitizer and radioprotector that is relevant for cancer therapy. Anticancer agents that can effectively trigger the process of cell death in tumor cells need to be developed. This study describes the effect of the flavonoid biochanin A (BCA), administered alone or in combination with gamma radiation, on the growth of radioresistant human colon cancer HT29 cells in vitro. Proliferation studies were carried out using MTT assay with increasing concentration of BCA (1-100 µM) followed by gamma irradiation at a dose of 2 Gy. Induced reactive oxygen species, mitochondrial membrane potential, lipid peroxidation, and caspase-3 activation were measured by fluorescence assays and the magnitude of induced apoptosis in cells was evaluated by flow cytometry. Cellular DNA damage was determined by comet assay. Combined treatment caused a significant decrease in cell proliferation, a substantial increase in the generation of reactive oxygen species, enhanced lipid peroxidation, and increased mitochondrial membrane potential in treated HT29 cells compared with controls. Significantly enhanced apoptosis and DNA damage were found with a combination of drug and radiation treatments. Furthermore, it was found that combined treatment yielded an additive increase of caspase-3 in these cells. CONCLUSION: BCA acts as a remarkable pro-oxidant, significantly enhancing the radiotoxicity of colon cancer cells in vitro.
PMID: 24266406 [PubMed - in process]
Can cranberry extract and vitamin C + Zn supplements affect the in vivo activity of paraoxonase 1, antioxidant potential, and lipid status?
Begcevic I, Simundic AM, Nikolac N, Dobrijevic S, Rajkovic MG, Tesija-Kuna A. Clin Lab. 2013;59(9-10):1053-60. Univ Dept of Chemistry, Univ Hospital Center Sestre Milosrdnice, Zagreb, Croatia.
BACKGROUND: The modern way of life exposes us to substantial oxidative stress, putting the focus on the research of antioxidant effects of dietary supplements. Recent studies have shown that the effectiveness of particular vitamins and herbal preparations might have an effect on paraoxonase activity. Paraoxonase 1 is an HDL associated enzyme which prevents the oxidation of LDL. Several studies have shown the beneficial effect of some dietary components to the activity of paraoxonase. The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of cranberry extract and vitamin C and zinc preparations (vitamin C + Zn) on serum paraoxonase 1 activity, antioxidant status, and glucose and lipid concentration.
METHODS: The study included 31 healthy volunteers (median age 24 years). They were divided into 3 groups according to the intervention type and smoking status and exposed to commercially available preparations of the cranberry extract (2 g/day) and vitamin C + Zn (300 mg/day) during 4 weeks.
RESULTS: The results have shown that there is a significant increase in the activity of the paraoxonase 1 in nonsmokers after the intervention with the cranberry extract as well as with vitamin C + Zn preparations. Also, total antioxidant status increased in the non-smokers subgroup after intervention with vitamin C + Zn. However, the lipid profile did not change significantly in response to antioxidant preparations.
CONCLUSIONS: Antioxidant supplements can increase the antioxidant potential of an organism as well as paraoxonase 1 activity. This observation is pointing to the potential complementary role of dietary supplements in the primary prevention of atherosclerosis.
PMID: 24273928 [PubMed - in process]
Cinnamaldehyde/chemotherapeutic agents interaction and drug-metabolizing genes in colorectal cancer.
Yu C, Liu SL, Qi MH, Zou X. Mol Med Rep. 2013 Nov 26. doi: 10.3892/mmr.2013.1830. [Epub ahead of print] First Clinical Medical College, Nanjing Univ of CM, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210046, PRC. Cinnamaldehyde is an active monomer isolated from the stem bark of Cinnamomum cassia, a traditional oriental medicinal herb, which is known to possess marked antitumor effects in vitro and in vivo. The aim of the present study was to examine the potential advantages of using cinnamaldehyde in combination with chemotherapeutic agents commonly used in colorectal carcinoma (CRC) therapy, as well as to investigate the effect of cinnamaldehyde on chemotherapeutic-associated gene expression. The synergistic interaction of cinnamaldehyde and chemotherapeutic agents on human CRC HT-29 and LoVo cells was evaluated using the combination index (CI) method. The double staining with Annexin V conjugated to fluorescein-isothiocyanate and phosphatidylserine was employed for apoptosis detection. The expression of drug-metabolizing genes, including excision repair cross‑complementing 1 (ERCC1), orotate phosphoribosyltransferase (OPRT), thymidylate synthase (TS), breast cancer susceptibility gene 1 (BRCA1) and topoisomerase 1 (TOPO1), all in HT-29 and LoVo cells, with or without the addition of cinnamaldehyde, was examined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Cinnamaldehyde had a synergistic effect on the chemotherapeutic agents cytotoxicity in HT-29 and LoVo cells. In addition, cinnamaldehyde suppressed BRCA1, TOPO1, ERCC1 and TS mRNA expression, except for OPRT expression, which was markedly upregulated.
CONCLUSION: Cinnamaldehyde appears to be a promising candidate as an adjuvant in combination therapy with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and oxaliplatin (OXA), two chemotherapeutic agents used in CRC treatment. The possible mechanisms of its action may involve the regulation of drug‑metabolizing genes.
PMID: 24276478 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Comparison of the antibacterial activity of essential oils and extracts of medicinal and culinary herbs to investigate potential new treatments for irritable bowel syndrome.
Thompson A, Meah D, Ahmed N, Conniff-Jenkins R, Chileshe E, Phillips CO, Claypole TC, Forman DW, Row PE. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2013 Nov 28;13:338. doi: 10.1186/1472-6882-13-338. Biochemistry Group, College of Medicine, Care of Grove Reception, Swansea Univ, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK. paula.row@cantab.net
BACKGROUND: IBS is a common functional gastrointestinal disorder, which may result from alteration of the gastrointestinal microbiota following gastrointestinal infection, or with intestinal dysbiosis or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. This may be treated with antibiotics, but there is concern that widespread antibiotic use might lead to antibiotic resistance. Some herbal medicines have been shown to be beneficial, but their mechanism(s) of action remain incompletely understood. To try to understand whether antibacterial properties might be involved in the efficacy of these herbal medicines, and to investigate potential new treatments for IBS, we have conducted a preliminary study in vitro to compare the antibacterial activity of the essential oils of culinary and medicinal herbs against the bacterium, Esherichia coli.
METHODS: Essential oils were tested for their ability to inhibit E. coli growth in disc diffusion assays and in liquid culture, and to kill E. coli in a zone of clearance assay. Extracts of coriander, lemon balm and spearmint leaves were tested for their antibacterial activity in the disc diffusion assay. Disc diffusion and zone of clearance assays were analysed by two-tailed t tests whereas ANOVA was performed for the turbidometric assays.
RESULTS: Most of the oils exhibited antibacterial activity in all three assays, however peppermint, lemon balm and coriander seed oils were most potent, with peppermint and coriander seed oils being more potent than the antibiotic rifaximin in the disc diffusion assay. The compounds present in these oils were identified by gas chromatography mass spectrometry. Finally, extracts were made of spearmint, lemon balm and coriander leaves with various solvents and these were tested for their antibacterial activity against E. coli in the disc diffusion assay. In each case, extracts made with ethanol and methanol exhibited potent antibacterial activity.
CONCLUSIONS: Many of the essential oils had antibacterial activity in the three assays, suggesting that they would be good candidates for testing in clinical trials. The observed antibacterial activity of ethanolic extracts of coriander, lemon balm and spearmint leaves suggests a mechanistic explanation for the efficacy of a mixture of coriander, lemon balm and mint extracts against IBS in a published clinical trial.
PMID: 24283351 [PubMed - in process]
Cortex Moutan Induces Bladder Cancer Cell Death via Apoptosis and Retards Tumor Growth in Mouse Bladders.
Lin MY, Lee YR, Chiang SY, Li YZ, Chen YS, Hsu CD, Liu YW. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2013;2013:207279. Epub 2013 Oct 24. Graduate Institute of CM, College of CM, China Medical Univ, Taichung 40402, ROC; Dept of CM, Chiayi Christian Hospital, Chiayi 60002, ROC. Cortex Moutan is the root bark of Paeonia suffruticosa Andr. It is the herbal medicine widely used in TCM for the treatment of blood-heat and blood-stasis syndrome. Furthermore, it has been reported that Cortex Moutan has anticancer effect. In this study, the Cortex Moutan extract was evaluated in bladder cancer therapy in vitro and in vivo. Cortex Moutan extract reduces cell viability with IC50 between 1~2  mg/ml in bladder cancer cells, and it has lower cytotoxicity in normal urotheliums. It arrests cells in G1 and S phase and causes phosphatidylserine expression in the outside of cell membrane. It induces caspase-8 and caspase-3 activation and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase degradation. The pan caspase inhibitor z-VAD-fmk reverses Cortex Moutan-induced cell death. Cortex Moutan also inhibits cell invasion activity in 5637 cells. In mouse orthotopic bladder cancer model, intravesical application of Cortex Moutan decreases the bladder tumor size without altering the blood biochemical parameters.
CONCLUSIONS: These results show the antiproliferation and anti-invasion properties of Cortex Moutan in bladder cancer cells and its antibladder tumor effect in vivo. Cortex Moutan may provide an alternative therapeutic strategy for the intravesical therapy of superficial bladder cancer.
PMCID: PMC3824643 PMID: 24282433 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Effectiveness of Rosmarinus officinalis essential oil as antihypotensive agent in primary hypotensive patients and its influence on health-related quality of life.
Fernández LF, Palomino OM, Frutos G. J Ethnopharmacol. 2013 Nov 20. pii: S0378-8741(13)00800-3. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2013.11.006. [Epub ahead of print] Dept of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Avda. Complutense s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: To study Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary) essential oil effect on primary hypotension and its influence on both physical and psychological aspects responsible for health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of patients.
METHODOLOGY: Thirty-two patients with diagnosed hypotension were recruited between March 2007 and September 2008 for a prospective study for 72 weeks in a Spanish pharmacy. Clinical evaluation was carried out through the control of systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels (SBP and DBP, respectively) according to the International Standards from the American Society of Hypertension. HRQOL data were recorded within the SF-36 Health Survey(®) questionnaire throughout the study. Statistical methods were used as the essential tools to evaluate the effectiveness of Rosemary essential oil and to assess the relationship between the two quantitative variables (SBP and DBP) and scores from physical and mental summary components (PSC and MSC) obtained from the SF-36 Health Survey. RESULTS: Both blood pressure variables of SBP and DBP reflect the clinically significant antihypotensive effect of Rosemary essential oil that was maintained throughout the treatment period. After validation of the use of the questionnaire (Cronbach's alpha coefficient >.82), statistically significant differences have been found between pre-treatment and post-treatment values of PSC and MSC, which indicate an improvement in these parameters that is directly related to the variation in blood pressure values.
CONCLUSIONS: The increase achieved in blood pressure values after administration of Rosemary essential oil is clinically significant. The results obtained from this prospective clinical trial prove the effectiveness of statistical methodology as a new approach to explain the antihypotensive effect of rosemary essential oil and its relationship with the improvement in patients' quality of life. © 2013 Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.
PMID: 24269249 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Escin Chemosensitizes Human Pancreatic Cancer Cells and Inhibits the Nuclear Factor-kappaB Signaling Pathway. Rimmon A, Vexler A, Berkovich L, Earon G, Ron I, Lev-Ari S. Biochem Res Int. 2013;2013:251752. Epub 2013 Oct 27. Lab of Herbal Medicine and Cancer Research, Institute of Oncology, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, 6 Weizmann Street, 64239 Tel Aviv, Israel; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv Univ, Tel Aviv, Israel. Background. There is an urgent need to develop new treatment strategies and drugs for pancreatic cancer that is highly resistant to radio-chemotherapy. Aesculus hippocastanum (the horse chestnut) known in CM as a plant with Antiinflammatory, antiedema, antianalgesic, and antipyretic activities. The main active compound of this plant is Escin (C54H84O23). Objective. To evaluate the effect of Escin alone and combined with chemotherapy on pancreatic cancer cell survival and to unravel mechanism(s) of Escin anticancer activity. Methods. Cell survival was measured by XTT colorimetric assay. Synergistic effect of combined therapy was determined by CalcuSyn software. Cell cycle and induction of apoptosis were evaluated by FACS analysis. Expression of NF- κ B-related proteins (p65, I κ Bα, and p-I κ Bα) and cyclin D was evaluated by western blot analysis. Results. Escin decreased the survival of pancreatic cancer cells with IC50 = 10-20  M. Escin combined with gemcitabine showed only additive effect, while its combination with cisplatin resulted in a significant synergistic cytotoxic effect in Panc-1 cells. High concentrations of Escin induced apoptosis and decreased NF- κ B-related proteins and cyclin D expression.
CONCLUSIONS: Escin decreased pancreatic cancer cell survival, induced apoptosis, and downregulated NF- κ B signaling pathway. Moreover, Escin sensitized pancreatic cancer cells to chemotherapy. Further translational research is required.
PMCID: PMC3825277 PMID: 24282639 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Evaluation of hypoglycemic activity of total lignans from Fructus Arctii in the spontaneously diabetic Goto-Kakizaki rats.
Xu Z, Ju J, Wang K, Gu C, Feng Y. J Ethnopharmacol. 2013 Nov 21. pii: S0378-8741(13)00815-5. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2013.11.021. [Epub ahead of print] Engineering Research Center of Modern Preparation Technology of TCM, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Univ of TCM, Shanghai 201203, PRC. Electronic address: zhhxu1970@gmail.com
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Fructus Arctii, called "Niubangzi" in China (Great burdock achene in English), is a well-known Chinese Materia Medica. It is the dried ripe fruit of Arctium lappa L. (family Asteraceae) and was included in the Chinese pharmacopoeia for its traditional therapeutic actions. Meanwhile it has been utilized extensively in a number of classical drug formulas as a major component for the treatment of noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. It has also been reported recently that the clinical use of Fructus Arctii resulted in a satisfactory hypoglycemic effect in diabetic patients. The aim of this study was to investigate hypoglycemic activity of total lignans from Fructus Arctii (TLFA) in Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rats, a spontaneous type 2 diabetic animal model, and the mechanism of its hypoglycemic activity.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male GK rats and normal Wistar rats were used in this study, GK rats fed twice daily were given TLFA (300mg/kg) or nateglinide (50mg/kg) orally before each meal for 12 weeks. Besides common evaluation indexes of hypoglycemic activity such as blood glucose level, oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), glycated hemoglobin, as well as lipid metabolism parameters such as cholesterol (CHOL), triglycerides (TG), et al., in rat serum. The effects of TLFA on insulin secretion and pancreas tissue sections, the levels of serum glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), and the α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of TLFA in vitro were investigated.
RESULTS: TLFA demonstrated stable and long-lasting hypoglycemic activity in GK rats and showed significant improvement in glucose tolerance in glucose fed hyperglycemic GK rats. Both TLFA and nateglinide controlled the glycosylated hemoglobin levels of the experimental animals very well. Stimulation of insulin secretion was proved to be one of the hypoglycemic mechanism of TLFA, promoting the release of GLP-1 should be another one, and É‘ -glucosidase inhibitory activity of TLFA also contributes to its hypoglycemic activity. In this study, we didn't found that TLFA could effect the body weight of GK rats, which was also verified by the changes of biochemical parameters of blood in experimental rats.
CONCLUSION: TLFA has significant hypoglycemic potential in GK rats. It may act through stimulating insulin secretion, promoting the release of GLP-1, and decreasing intestinal absorption of glucose. © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. PMID: 24269245 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Ganoderma lucidum Spore Induced CA72-4 Elevation in Gastrointestinal Cancer: A Five-Case Report.
Yan B, Meng X, Shi J, Qin Z, Wei P, Lao L. Integr Cancer Ther. 2013 Nov 25. [Epub ahead of print] Ganoderma lucidum Spore (GLS), an over-the-counter herbal supplement, is widely used by cancer patients in China. Although preclinical studies have shown it to be safe, complete safety data on GLS is still lacking. In this article, we report 5 cases of gastrointestinal cancer that were treated with GLS plus multiple strategies between 2010 and 2011. These patients presented with increased levels of the serum tumor marker CA72-4, one of the most valuable markers for monitoring therapeutic response in patients receiving gastrointestinal cancer treatment, after oral ingestion of GLS, BID, for 1 or 2 months. Interestingly, CA72-4 rapidly returned to normal levels when the patients discontinued the supplement and no change in clinical symptoms accompanied the CA72-4 surge. CONCLUSIONS: Considering that the underlying mechanism of this reaction is obscure, we suggest that additional studies are urgently needed and GLS be used with caution in cancer patients.
PMID: 24282100 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Huai Qi Huang ameliorates proteinuria and hematuria in mild IgA nephropathy patients: A prospective randomized controlled study. Li LT, Shi MY, Wei SY, Li T, Li B. J Formos Med Assoc. 2013 Nov 23. pii: S0929-6646(13)00392-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jfma.2013.10.019. [Epub ahead of print] Dept of Nephrology, Second Affiliated Hospital, Harbin Medical Univ, Harbin, PRC. BACKGROUND: Huai Qi Huang (HQH) is a compound CHM that contains Trametes robiniophila murr, wolfberry fruit, and Polygonatum. In the present study, we investigated the effects of HQH on patients with mild immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) through a prospective randomized controlled study.
METHODS: 45 adults diagnosed with IgAN according to renal pathology, who had hematuria or/and proteinuria (≤ 2 g/day), were randomly assigned to receive HQH or no treatment for 12 weeks. 24h urinary protein excretion and hematuria were measured at Weeks 0, 4, 8, and 12. The rate of complete remission of proteinuria and hematuria was evaluated. Any adverse events induced by HQH were also observed during the treatment period.
RESULTS: HQH treatment significantly reduced 24h urinary protein excretion compared with that in the control group at Weeks 8 and 12. A much higher rate of complete remission of proteinuria was observed in the HQH group than in control group at Week 12. HQH administration also obviously reduced the extent of hematuria compared with that in the control group at Week 12. HQH treatment dramatically increased the rate of complete remission of hematuria compared with that in control group at Weeks 8 and 12. No obvious adverse events caused by HQH were observed.
CONCLUSION: HQH could be a new conservative therapy for IgAN patients who cannot tolerate steroids and immunosuppressive agents. The relapse rate after discontinuing treatment still needs further investigation. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V.
PMID: 24280442 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Improved glycemic control in patients with advanced type 2 diabetes mellitus taking Urtica dioica leaf extract: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial.
Kianbakht S, Khalighi-Sigaroodi F, Dabaghian FH. Clin Lab. 2013;59(9-10):1071-6. Dept of Pharmacology and Applied Medicine, Research Institute of Medicinal Plants, ACECR, Karaj, Iran. skianbakht@yahoo.com
BACKGROUND: Advanced type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) needing insulin therapy is common. Most conventional anti-hyperglycemic drugs have limited efficacies and significant side effects, so that better anti-hyperglycemic agents are needed. Urtica dioica L. (nettle) leaves have insulin secretagogue, PPARgamma agonistic, and alpha-glucosidase inhibitory effects. Moreover, nettle leaves are used in traditional medicine as an anti-hyperglycemic agent to treat diabetes mellitus. Thus, efficacy and safety of nettle in the treatment of patients with advanced type 2 diabetes mellitus needing insulin were studied. METHODS: In this randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial, we evaluated the effects of taking nettle leaf extract (one 500 mg capsule every 8 hours for 3 months) combined with the conventional oral anti-hyperglycemic drugs on the blood levels of fasting glucose, postprandial glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), creatinine and liver enzymes SGOT and SGPT, and systolic and diastolic blood pressures in 46 patients and compared with the placebo group (n = 46).
RESULTS: At the endpoint, the extract lowered the blood levels of fasting glucose, 2 hours postprandial glucose, and HbA1c significantly (p<.001, p=.009, and p=.006, respectively) without any significant effects on the other parameters (p>.05) compared with placebo.
CONCLUSIONS: Nettle may safely improve glycemic control in type 2 diabetic patients needing insulin therapy.
PMID: 24273930 [PubMed - in process]
n-Butanol soluble fraction of the water extract of Chinese toona fruit ameliorated focal brain ischemic insult in rats via inhibition of oxidative stress and inflammation.
Yan Y, Min Y, Min H, Chao C, Ying Q, Zhi H. J Ethnopharmacol. 2013 Nov 20. pii: S0378-8741(13)00733-2. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2013.10.026. [Epub ahead of print] Medical School of China, Three Gorges Univ, Yichang 443002, PRC. AIM OF THE STUDY: Toona sinensis Roem. (Meliaceae; Toona sinensis; Chinese Toona Fruit) is a type of arbor that is widely distributed in Asia. The fruits of Toona sinensis Roem has been traditionally recognized for treatment of cerebrovascular diseases. To evaluate the potential clinical use of the fruits of Toona sinensis Roem, we determined the dose dependence of the neuroprotective efficacy in a focal cerebral ischemic reperfusion model of rats and explored the underlying mechanisms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Rats were subjected to occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCAO) by a nylon filament and treated with different doses (20mg/kg and 30mg/kg) of n-butanol soluble fraction of the water extract of Chinese Toona Fruit or the vehicle for 1 week before induction of ischemia, s.i.d..
RESULTS: n-Butanol soluble fraction of the water extract of Chinese Toona Fruit reduced in a dose-dependent manner the ischemia-induced cerebral infarct and edema volume and attenuated neurological deficits observed at 6h point after ischemia. n-Butanol soluble fraction of the water extract of Chinese Toona Fruit reduced the levels of nitrate, nitrite, lipid peroxidation, cyclooxygenase-1, thromboxane in post-ischemic brain. n-Butanol soluble fraction of the water extract of Chinese Toona Fruit adjusted the elevation of the activity of glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase in ischemic brain.
CONCLUSIONS: This is the first evidence of effectiveness of n-butanol soluble fraction of the water extract of Chinese Toona Fruit in the rat stroke models, as it reduced infarct volume, inhibited the oxidative stress and inflammation. © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
PMID: 24269248 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Pharmacokinetic comparisons of berberine and palmatine in normal and metabolic syndrome rats.
Liu QF, Shi XJ, Li ZD, Zhong MK, Jiao Z, Wang B. J Ethnopharmacol. 2013 Nov 22. pii: S0378-8741(13)00738-1. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2013.10.031. [Epub ahead of print] Clinical Pharmacy Lab, Huashan Hospital, Fudan Univ, 12 Wu Lu Mu Qi M Road, Shanghai 200040, PRC.
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: San-Huang formula is a popular TCM preparation to replenish Qi, resolve phlegm, dissipate blood stasis, and therapy metabolic syndrome in China. Metabolic syndrome, which is accompanied by Qi and blood stasis, mainly arises from spleen deficiency in essence. There is limited information available for differences of pharmacokinetic properties of San-Huang formula between normal and metabolic syndrome rats. The present study was conducted to compare the pharmacokinetics of berberine as well as palmatine in normal and metabolic syndrome rats following oral administration of San-Huang formula extract.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The animals were orally administered with San-Huang formula extract with the equivalent dose of 60.4 and 12.5mg/kg for berberine and palmatine, respectively. The blood samples were collected according to the time schedule. The concentrations of berberine and palmatine in rat plasma were determined by LC-ESI/MS. Various pharmacokinetic parameters were estimated from the plasma concentration versus time data using non-compartmental methods.
RESULTS: It was found that AUC0-t, Cmax, Vd and CL of berberine and palmatine in metabolic syndrome rats were significantly different (p<.05) from normal rats.
CONCLUSIONS: Berberine and palmatine have higher uptake and slower elimination in the rats with metabolic syndrome, which suggests that the rate and extent of drug metabolism were altered in metabolic syndrome rats. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
PMID: 24269776 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
[Research on the compatibility laws in treating rheumatoid arthritis patients of cold-dampness obstruction syndrome - Article in Chinese]
Liu C, Liang YL, Yao LY. Zhongguo Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi. 2013 Sep;33(9):1269-72. Dept of Computer Teaching, Gansu College of TCM, Gansu 730000, PRC. Ichun1@sohu.com
OBJECTIVE: To find out CHM compounds (CHCs) with high frequency in treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients of cold-dampness obstruction syndrome (CDOS) by inductively reviewing literatures concerning clinical application of CHCs, thus improving theoretical and medical practice levels of CM recipes.
METHODS: The CHCs for treating RA patients of CDOS published in medical journals in recent 30 years were retrieved. The database of CHCs was set up. The herbal functions, meridian tropism, flavors and properties were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: There were 126 single herbs in CHCs for treating RA patients of CDOS. The top 31 single herbs occupied 70.7% cumulative frequency, being high frequency CHCs for treating RA patients of CDOS. From the function aspect, the anti-rheumatic herbs, asthenia supplementing herbs, diaphoretics, and herbs for activating blood circulation and removing blood stasis were identified as high frequency CHCs. From the meridian tropism aspect, Gan-meridian, Pi-meridian and Shen-meridian, occupied the top 3. As for flavors, acrid, bitter, and sweet occupied the top three. As for drug nature, herbs of warm property were used most frequently.
CONCLUSION: The high frequency CHCs obtained from analytical statistics could provide evidence for clinical medication. PMID: 24273988 [PubMed - in process]
Studies on neutralizing effect of Ophiorrhiza mungos root extract against Daboia russelii venom.
Krishnan SA, Dileepkumar R, Nair AS, Oommen OV. J Ethnopharmacol. 2013 Nov 23. pii: S0378-8741(13)00804-0. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2013.11.010. [Epub ahead of print] Dept of Zoology, Univ of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram 695581, Kerala, India. ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The folklore or traditional therapy in southern India widely utilizes a plethora of local herbs to treat the patients challenged with snake venom. Despite the widespread implementation of antisera therapy, the local population of the country still relies on this century's old medicinal formulas mainly due to the cost effectiveness, lesser side effects and also its cultural acceptability. The present study aims to validate the neutralizing ability of one such traditionally acclaimed antidote Ophiorrhiza mungos root extract against Russell's viper (Daboia russelii) venom in the early developing chick embryos.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The disc impregnated with venom, root extract or the combination of both was placed on the yolk sac membrane preferably over the anterior blood vessel of 6th day chick embryo. The neutralization/inhibition of venom-induced lethality or hemorrhage was achieved by incubating venom and extract before being applied to the embryo. The membrane stabilizing properties of root extract was estimated by HRBC lysis method. The preliminary phytochemical analysis was done to assess the phyto constituents in the root extract.
RESULTS: The LD50 of Russell's viper venom in 6th day chick embryo was found to be 3μg/μl. The neutralising effect of root extract was achieved by pre-incubating venom with various concentrations of extract and at the concentration of 10μg/μl, 100% recovery of embryos was observed after 6h of incubation. Higher concentration of root extract showed remarkable results by completely abolishing traces of hemorrhagic lesions induced by viper venom.
CONCLUSIONS: The root extract of Ophiorrhiza mungos possess potent anti snake venom neutralizing compounds, which inhibit the activity of viper venom. The chick embryo, a new insensate model used in the present study is significant in venom research as it reduces the ruthless suffering of higher mammalian experimental models. © 2013 Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.
PMID: 24280030 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
The Antiinflammation effect of Moutan Cortex on advanced glycation end products-induced rat mesangial cells dysfunction and High-glucose-fat diet and streptozotocin-induced diabetic nephropathy rats.
Zhang MH, Feng L, Zhu MM, Gu JF, Jiang J, Cheng XD, Ding SM, Wu C, Jia XB. J Ethnopharmacol. 2013 Nov 21. pii: S0378-8741(13)00809-X. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2013.11.015. [Epub ahead of print] Key Lab of New Drug Delivery Systems of Chinese Meteria Medica, Jiangsu Provincial Academy of CM, Jiangsu, Nanjing 210028, PRC.; Dept of Pharmaceutics, Jiangsu Univ, Jiangsu, Zhenjiang 212013, PRC.
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Moutan Cortex (MC, family: Paeonia suffruticosa Andr.) is a well-known traditional herbal medicine that has been shown to hold a protective effect on inflammation in several diseases. However, its Antiinflammatory activity on diabetic nephropathy (DN) has been less reported. The present study was conducted to evaluate the potential attenuation activities of MC on inflammation in AGEs-induced rat mesangial cells dysfunction and high-glucose-fat diet and streptozotocin (STZ)-induced DN rats and explore the possible mechanism underlying its DN effect.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The inflammation in mesangial cells (HBZY-1) was induced by 200μg/ml advanced glycation end products (AGEs). DN rats model was established by an administration high-glucose-fat diet and an intraperitoneal injection of STZ (30mg/kg). Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) level in cell supernatant and rats serum were detected by appropriate kits. A co-culture system of mesangial cells and macrophages was performed to evaluate the migration of macrophages. Immunohistochemical assay was applied to examine transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-β1), IL-6, MCP-1 and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) expression in kidney tissues of rats. Furthermore, western blot analysis was carried out to examine TGF-β1, IL-6, MCP-1, ICAM-1 and RAGE protein expressions in mesangial cells.
RESULTS: Pretreatment with MC could significantly inhibit AGEs-induced migration of macrophages in the co-culture system of mesangial cell and macrophage. MC could decrease IL-6 and MCP-1 levels in serum of DN rats in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, MC also improved the blood glucose, serum creatinine and urine protein levels. Both immunocytochemistry analysis and western blot analysis showed that MC decreased significantly the over-expression of IL-6, MCP-1, TGF-β1, ICAM-1 and RAGE in mesangial cells or kidney tissues. Additionally, the protein expression of proinflammatory cytokine could also be down-regulated by the pretreatment of RAGE-Ab (5μg/ml).
CONCLUSION: MC extract ameliorated the inflammation in AGEs-induced mesangial cells dysfunction and high-glucose-fat diet and STZ-induced DN rats. The protective effect might be associated with the intervention of MC via target of RAGE. These findings suggested that MC might be a benefit agent for the prevention and treatment of DN. © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
PMID: 24269777 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Topical Brazilian propolis improves corneal wound healing and inflammation in rats following alkali burns.
Martin LF, Rocha EM, Garcia SB, Paula JS. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2013 Nov 27;13:337. doi: 10.1186/1472-6882-13-337. Dept of Ophthalmology, Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto - Univ of São Paulo, Av, Bandeirantes, 3900 - 12°, Andar, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil. jspaula@fmrp.usp.br.
BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of the Brazilian Scaptotrigona sp propolis, a widely used folk medicine, in corneal wound healing and inflammation.
METHODS: Corneal epithelial defects of 1 mm in diameter were made in the right eyes of Wistar male adult rats by cauterization with silver nitrate sticks. Subsequently, they were divided in two groups (n  =  40 rats/group): Brazilian propolis (BP) group was topically treated with a microemulsion containing 1% Brazilian propolis; vehicle (VH) group received the same formulation without propolis. The epithelial defect area was photographed and measured at t  =  0 (wound induction), and after 12, 24, 48 and 120 h of treatment. The inflammatory response was evaluated based on counting of neutrophils. Epithelial regeneration rates were determined based on Ki-67 expression in basal epithelial cells. Comparisons were made using the Kruskal-Wallis and the Mann-Whitney U test.
RESULTS: The BP group presented both smaller epithelial defect areas at 12, 24 and 48 h and fewer corneal infiltrating neutrophils at 24 and 48 h (p<.01) than the VH group. These effects were associated with more pervasive Ki-67 staining in the BP group at 12 and 24 h (p<.05).
CONCLUSIONS: Topically applied BP accelerated wound healing and reduced the inflammatory response to silver nitrate-induced corneal alkali burns in rats.
PMID: 24279635 [PubMed - in process]