The Role of Cancer and Somatic Stem Cells in the Anti-Inflammatory and Antitumor Effects of Aconitum baicalense Extract on Experimental Breast Cancer.

We studied the effects of the extract of the terrestrial part of Aconitum baicalense in BALB/c female mice at the early stages after the injection of N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU). The extract reduced inflammatory activity and tumor growth in the mammary gland. The antitumor and anti-inflammatory effects of the extract are based on the inhibition of cancer stem cells, hematopoietic stem cells, and hematopoietic progenitor cells that promote inflammation. The extract of A. baicalense disrupted the recruitment of epithelial progenitor cells and angiogenesis precursors to the mammary gland preventing neovascularization and transformation of epithelial cells into tumor cells.

[An experimental study of the effectiveness of the drug afalaza in chronic aseptic prostatitis].

A pilot study evaluated the efficacy of the drug afalaza (mixture of affinity purified antibodies to PSA and endothelial NO-synthase) compared with the Serenoa repens extract in a model of chronic abacterial prostatitis in Wistar rats caused by suturing of prostate tissue by silk thread. Except for the animals of intact group, rats (n = 13 in each group) underwent intraperitoneal injection of distilled water (10 ml/kg), afalaza (at a doses of 5, 7.5 and 10 ml/kg) or an Serenoa repens extract (50 mg/kg) 1 month after surgery for 45 days. After infusion, the mass, volume, and prostate weighting factor were evaluated, and prostate tissue was examined histologically. 2.5 months after surgery, development of chronic abacterial prostatitis was observed in the control group. Compared with intact group, significant increase in weight, weighting factor, and volume of prostate were detected in control group. Against the background of administration of Serenoa repens extract and afalaza, these parameters were not significantly different from control values. The use of Serenoa repens extract prevented the development of atrophic processes and slowed the development of sclerotic processes. Administration of afalaza at all studied doses prevented the development of sclerotic changes, and a dose of 7.5 ml/kg prevented the development of atrophic processes with the effectiveness matching to Serenoa repens extract. Taking into account the high safety of afalaza, this drug is a promising treatment for chronic prostatitis.

Comparative evaluation of the efficiency of prostatotropic agents of natural origin in experimental benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Comparative evaluation of the efficiency of prostatotropic agents was carried out in rat experiments. Serenoa repens plant preparation and polypeptides isolated from the cattle prostate were used for the treatment of benign hyperplasia. Drugs in parallel with sulpiride similarly led to shrinkage of the acinar epithelial area and to emergence of a trend to an increase of the stromal/epithelial proportion, more so after Serenoa repens treatment.

Experimental study of the efficiency of impaza on the model of chronic aseptic prostatic inflammation.

We compared the efficacy of Impaza (antibodies against endothelial NO-synthase in ultra-low doses) and Serenoa repens on the rat model of chronic aseptic prostatic inflammation. Administration of Serenoa repens in a dose of 50 mg/kg for 1.5 months prevented the development of prostate sclerosis and increased luminal area, but did delay the development of atrophic processes. In animals treated with Impaza (3 ml/kg for 1.5 months), atrophic changes in the prostate gland were practically absent. These findings indicate that Impaza can be used in complex therapy of abacterial prostatitis.