Treatment of bullous pemphigoid in Chinese patients with Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F.

Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F (TwHF) is a traditional Chinese herb used in many medicinal applications, but the treatment of bullous pemphigoid (BP) with TwHF has never been reported. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of TwHF in BP patients. A retrospective study was performed from January 2015 to September 2019 in the Department of Dermatology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital. A total of 10 patients with mild to moderate BP and treated with TwHF were enrolled in the study with 10 mild or moderate BP patients treated with systemic glucocorticoid randomly selected as controls. In the TwHF group, a major response was seen in seven patients, a minor response in one and no response was seen in two patients. In the glucocorticoid group, a major response was seen in nine patients and a minor response in one patient. Two patients experienced treatment failure. The time to disease control in the TwHF group (34 ± 11 days) was longer as compared to the glucocorticoid group (18 ± 8 days, P < .05). Ten patients relapsed during the follow-up period. The adverse events in the TwHF group were lower than those in the glucocorticoid group (13 vs 19). Low-dose TwHF may be effective and safe for treating mild and moderate BP.

Compounds with inhibitory activity on peristalsis from the seeds of Holarrhena antidysenterica.

Eight compounds were isolated from the seeds of Holarrhena antidysenterica Wall.ex A.DC. On the basis of physico-chemical properties and spectroscopic data, holarrhenanan (1) was identified as a new compound, compounds 2-3 were isolated from H. antidysenterica for the first time, and five known compounds were also obtained. Inhibitory effects of some compounds and extracts to the intestinal peristalsis were evaluated. Results showed that the extracts and compounds 4, 6 exhibited remarkable inhibitory effects with tension inhibition rate of 32.77, 32.77% and amplitude inhibition rate of 59.51, 55.98%, respectively on the vitro rabbit intestinal peristalsis.

Antibacterial steroidal alkaloids from Holarrhena antidysenteriaca.

Two new steroidal alkaloids, isoconkuressine and N-formylconessimine, together with 6 known steroidal alkaloids including conkuressine, conessine, isoconessimine, conimine, conarrhimine, and funtudienine, were isolated from the seeds of Holarrhena antidysenteriaca Wall.ex A.DC. Their intrinsic antibacterial activities and synergistic effects with penicillin and vancomycin were analyzed in methicillin sensitive staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) and methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Two of the steroidal alkaloids including one new compound (N-formylconessimine) showed potential antibacterial activity and possessed synergistic effects with penicillin and vancomycin, respectively.