Effect of Three Herbal Extracts on NO and PGE2 Production by Activated Mouse Macrophage-like Cells.

In Vivo. 2009 Jul-Aug; 23(4): 537-44Chu Q, Hashimoto K, Satoh K, Wang Q, Sakagami HThree Chinese herbal extracts, Drynaria baronii, Angelica sinensis and Cornus officinalis Sieb. et Zucc (referred to as DB, AS, CO, respectively), were investigated for their possible anti-inflammatory activity. DB, AS and CO inhibited nitric oxide (NO) production by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated mouse macrophage-like RAW264.7 cells. Western blot and RT-PCR analyses demonstrated that this was due to the inhibition of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) expression at both protein and mRNA levels. Electron-spin resonance spectroscopy showed that DB, AS and CO dose-dependently scavenged the NO radical produced by NOC-7 in the presence of carboxy-PTIO. In order to confirm the anti-inflammatory potency, effects on prostaglandin (PG) E(2) production and the expression of enzymes involved in the arachidonic acid pathway were next investigated. DB and CO effectively inhibited the PGE(2) production by LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells, although the extent of inhibition of PGE(2) production was slightly lower than that of NO production. AS only marginally inhibited the LPS-stimulated PGE(2) production. DB, AS and CO inhibited cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 expression at both protein and mRNA levels, but to much lesser extents as compared with that for iNOS expression. These data further substantiate the anti-inflammatory potency of DB, AS and CO.

Triptolide functions as a potent angiogenesis inhibitor.

Int J Cancer. 2009 Jun 30; He MF, Huang YH, Wu LW, Ge W, Shaw PC, But PPTriptolide is a key anti-inflammatory compound of the Chinese herbal medicine Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. f. (Celastraceae). It also possesses potent anti-tumor activity. In this study, we show that triptolide is an angiogenesis inhibitor based on various angiogenesis assays. The IC(50) in in vitro assays was 45 nM, which was much lower than the plasma concentrations of triptolide in the rat or human administered with T. wilfordii extracts for treating inflammation. When dosed in vivo, triptolide potently inhibited angiogenesis at 100 nM in Matrigel plug assay. Triptolide at 0.75 mg/kg/day significantly blocked tumor angiogenesis and tumor progression in murine tumorigenesis assay. The underlying mechanism of triptolide correlated with down-regulation of proangiogenic Tie2 and VEGFR-2 expression in HUVEC by semi-quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot analysis. Although Tie2 inhibition appeared to be a later event as compared with VEGFR-2, Tie2 over-expression significantly attenuated the inhibitory effect of triptolide on endothelial proliferation and network formation. By contrast, Tie2 knockdown mimicked the inhibitory effect of triptolide on endothelial network formation. Our findings suggest that anti-tumor action of triptolide is partly via inhibition of tumor angiogenesis by blocking two endothelial receptor-mediated signaling pathways, and triptolide can be a promising anti-angiogenic agent. (c) 2009 UICC.

Comments on serious anaphylaxis caused by nine Chinese herbal injections used to treat common colds and upper respiratory tract infections.

Regul Toxicol Pharmacol. 2009 Jun 23; Ji K, Chen J, Li M, Liu Z, Xia L, Wang C, Zhan Z, Wu XReports describing severe allergic shock and fatality following treatment of a common cold or upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) with a Chinese herbal injection were collected. Our analysis of the risks associated with this treatment suggested that the potential risk of serious, or even lethal, anaphylaxis should preclude its use in treating common colds and URTIs. In light of our findings herein, we propose the following five suggestions for improving the clinical safety of delivering Chinese herbal injections as medical treatments. First, Chinese herbal injections should not be delivered in the clinic to treat patients in accordance with Bian zheng lun zhi (broad-spectrum application based on holistic Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory and methodology), but rather they should be administered to target specific indicated disease processes. Second, Chinese herbal injection indications should be based on the results of double-blind randomized controlled clinical trials. Third, Chinese herbal injections should be used only in cases involving severe disease or to rescue patients in critical condition; they should not be used to treat mild, relatively innocuous diseases, such as common colds and upper respiratory tract infections, given the risk of doing harm. Fourth, Chinese herbal injection formulas should include materials from only a single or a small number of plant sources in known quantities. Fifth, more studies examining the toxicology and allergenic potential of Chinese herbal injections are needed.