Phytotherapy research : PTR
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Schizandrin is one of the main dibenzocyclooctadiene lignans present in the fruit of Schisandra chinensis (Schisandraceae). Biological activities including hepatoprotective, antiviral and neuroprotective effects of schizandrin and other dibenzocyclooctadiene lignans have been reported previously. However, the antiproliferative effect of schizandrin against human cancer cells has been poorly determined to date. ⋯ Schizandrin exhibited growth inhibitory activities in cultured human breast cancer cells, and the effect was the more profound in estrogen receptor (ER)-positive T47D cells than in ER-negative MDA-MB-231 cells. When treated with the compound in T47D cells, schizandrin induced the accumulation of a cell population in the G0/G1 phase, which was further demonstrated by the induction of CDK inhibitors p21 and p27 and the inhibition of the expression of cell cycle checkpoint proteins including cyclin D1, cyclin A, CDK2 and CDK4. These results suggest that schizandrin inhibits cell proliferation through the induction of cell cycle arrest with modulating cell cycle-related proteins in human breast cancer cells.
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To study the effectiveness of pomegranate juice on osteoarthritis, mono-iodoacetate induced loss of articular cartilage in the mouse tibiofemoral joint was used as a model. Mono-iodoacetate is an inhibitor of glycolysis which promotes osteoarthritis similar to that noted in human osteoarthritis. The histopathology of the subchondral bone and cartilage of mouse knee joints treated with a single intra-articular injection of mono-iodoacetate (0.1 mg) and killed at 1, 14 and 28 days post injection was investigated. ⋯ Chondrocyte damage was significantly prevented, with proteoglycan less affected, especially in the groups receiving a high amount of pomegranate juice. No cell proliferation or inflammatory cells were detected in the synovial fluid. The effectiveness of pomegranate juice in improving histopathological damage is emphasized and its chondroprotective effect in vivo highlighted.
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The objective of this study was to evaluate the antiobesity effect of perilla leaf extract (PLE) in animal models of high fat diet-induced obesity. C57BL/6J mice were fed a standard diet (STD) or high fat diet (HFD) for 5 weeks to induce obesity. The experimental groups were four groups with 10 mice per group and fed for 4 weeks: a STD group, a HFD group, a HFD containing 1% PLE (HFD+PLE 1%) group and a HFD containing 3% PLE (HFD+PLE 3%) group. ⋯ Histological changes in the liver of the PLE supplemented group showed an inhibition of steatosis induced by HFD. Furthermore, PLE reversed the HFD induced changes in the expression patterns of epididymal adipose tissue genes: acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACC), glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma). These results suggest that the PLE supplement suppressed body weight gain and improved the blood lipid profiling, in part by down-regulating adipogenic transcription factor and other specific target genes.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Fixed herbal drug combination with and without butterbur (Ze 185) for the treatment of patients with somatoform disorders: randomized, placebo-controlled pharmaco-clinical trial.
Herbal drugs are often used in patients with somatoform disorders yet, the available evidence is limited. The aim of the present short-term study was to evaluate in a pharmaco-clinical trial the additional benefit of butterbur in a fixed herbal drug combination (Ze 185 = 4-combination versus 3-combination without butterbur and placebo) in patients with somatoform disorders. For a 2-week treatment in patients with somatization disorder (F45.0) and undifferentiated somatoform disorder (F45.1), 182 patients were randomized for a 3-arm trial (butterbur root, valerian root, passionflower herb, lemon balm leaf versus valerian root, passionflower herb, lemon balm leaf versus placebo). ⋯ As to safety, no serious adverse events occurred. In total 9 non-serious adverse events were documented but the distribution did not differ significantly between the treatment groups. This herbal preparation (Ze185) showed to be an efficacious and safe short-term treatment in patients with somatoform disorders.
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Thrombin, hyperglycemia and reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been discovered to play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The aim of the study was to evaluate the direct effect of bovine thrombin (BTh) on ROS production by human neutrophils and rodent macrophages and to investigate the effect of honey on BTh-induced ROS production from phagocytes. Professional phagocytes, i.e. neutrophils and macrophages, were stimulated by BTh and ROS production was measured in luminol/lucigenin enhanced chemiluminescence (CL) assays. ⋯ Honey treatment of phagocytes activated by bovine thrombin showed effective suppression of oxidative respiratory burst monitored by the CL assay. In conclusion, it can be assumed that this direct action of BTh on phagocytes causing ROS production might exaggerate the inflammatory response at the site of atheromatous plaques. The suppressive activity of honey towards thrombin-induced ROS production by phagocytes could be beneficial in the interruption of the pathological progress of CVD and may play a cardioprotective role.