The American journal of Chinese medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Effects of Panax ginseng supplementation on muscle damage and inflammation after uphill treadmill running in humans.
The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether Panax ginseng extract intake would influence exercise-induced muscle damage and inflammation responses. Eighteen male college students were randomly assigned to either an RG intake group (RG, n = 9) or a placebo group (P, n = 9). All subjects performed a high-intensity uphill treadmill running task (two rounds of 45 min at 10 km/h speed with a 15 degree uphill slope separated by 5 min of rest). ⋯ Plasma CK level in RG was significantly lower than that in P 72 h post-exercise (p < 0.05), and IL-6 level was significantly decreased in RG during the 2 h and 3 h recovery period compared to that of P (p < 0.05). Plasma glucose and insulin responses in RG were significantly reduced compared to those of P (p < 0.05). The results of this study suggest that RG supplementation could reduce exercise-induced muscle damage and inflammatory responses, resulting in improvements in insulin sensitivity.
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The natural product ginger (Zingiber officinale) has active constituents gingerol, Shogaol and Zerumbone, while turmeric (Curcuma longa) contains three active major curcuminoids, namely, curcumin, demethoxycurcumin, and bisdemethoxycurcumin. They have the same scientific classification and are reported to have anti-inflammatory and many therapeutic effects. ⋯ With some systems and adipose tissue, ginger and turmeric exert their actions through some/all of the following signals or molecular mechanisms: (1) through reduction of high levels of some hormones (as: T4, leptin) or interaction with hormone receptors; (2) by inhibition of cytokines/adipokine expression; (3) acting as a potent inhibitor of reactive oxygen species (ROS)-generating enzymes, which play an essential role between inflammation and progression of diseases; (4) mediation of their effects through the inhibition of signaling transcription factors; and/or (5) decrease the proliferative potent by down-regulation of antiapoptotic genes, which may suppress tumor promotion by blocking signal transduction pathways in the target cells. These multiple mechanisms of protection against inflammation and oxidative damage make ginger and curcumin particularly promising natural agents in fighting the ravages of aging and degenerative diseases, and need to be paid more attention by studies.
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Although doxorubicin (DXR) is an important antineoplastic agent, the serious toxicity mediated by the production of reactive oxygen species has remained a considerable clinical problem. Our hypothesis is that tanshinone II A sodium sulfonate (TSNIIA-SS), which holds significant effects against oxidative stress, protects against DXR-induced nephropathy. Firstly, the antioxidative effects of TSNIIA-SS were confirmed using oxygen radicals absorbance capacities (ORAC) assay in vitro. ⋯ The mice were randomized into three groups: Control group, DXR group and DXR-TSNIIA-SS group. TSNIIA-SS treatment not only improved DXR lesion identified by histochemical stain, but also regulated the expression of several proteins related with the cytoskeleton, oxidative stress and protein synthesis or degradation detected by two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE). These data have provided the evidence that TSNIIA-SS is a protective agent against DXR-induced nephropathy.
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SuHeXiang Wan (SHXW), a traditional Chinese medicine, has been used orally for the treatment of seizures, infantile convulsions and stroke. Previously, we reported the effects of a modified SHXW essential oil in terms of sedative effect, anticonvulsant activity and antioxidative activity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential beneficial effects of SHXW essential oil in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). ⋯ Pre-inhalation of SHXW essential oil improved the Aβ(1-42) induced memory impairment and suppressed Aβ(1-42) induced JNK, p38 and Tau phosphorylation in the hippocampus. SHXW essential oil suppressed Aβ-induced apoptosis and ROS production via an up-regulation of HO-1 and Nrf2 expression in SH-SY5Y cells. The present study suggests that SHXW essential oil may have potential as a therapeutic inhalation drug for the prevention and treatment of AD.
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Comparative Study
Effects of root and stem extracts of Asparagus cochinchinensis on biochemical indicators related to aging in the brain and liver of mice.
Asparagus cochinchinensis is a traditional Chinese medicine used for treating lung and spleen-related diseases. In this study, we compared the medicinal effects of A. cochinchinensis root and stem extracts on the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), the content of malonaldehyde (MDA) and total protein content in the brain, liver and plasma of mice. Polysaccharides and aqueous extracts of the roots significantly increased the spleen index and the SOD activity but reduced the MDA content and slowed down the aging process. In contrast, feeding with the stem extracts significantly reduced the SOD activity and increased the MDA accumulation in the brain and liver of mice, suggesting that the stem extracts may not be appropriate for treating aging-related diseases.