Telfairia occidentalis Hook.f. - associated haematopoietic effect is mediated by cytokines but independent of testosterone: A preliminary report.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Telfairia occidentalis Hook.f. (TO) is popular in Nigeria for the ethnopharmacological use of its leaves to improve haematological parameters in normal and anaemic subjects. Cytokines are well-known to regulate haematopoiesis. However, their involvement in TO-associated haematopoietic effect is not known and necessitated this study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-five (25) male rats were randomly divided into 3 oral treatment groups as follows: Group 1 (control, n=5) received 0.2 ml/kg normal saline for 14 days. Groups 2 and 3 (n= 10 each) were subdivided into 2 (n=5) and received 100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg of aqueous extract of TO respectively for 7 or 14 days. RESULTS: TO had dose- and duration-dependent effects on the estimated parameters. Both doses of TO increased the RBC, WBC and erythropoietin concentrations at 14 but not 7 days. Moreover, its 100 mg/kg increased haemoglobin, neutrophil, and interleukin-3 concentrations at 7 days, while 200 mg/kg increased PCV and neutrophils at 14 days, lymphocytes at 7 days, and haemoglobin at both durations. CONCLUSION: The haematopoietic effect of TO might be partly mediated by cytokines (interleukin-3 and erythropoietin) but independent of testosterone.

Aqueous extract of Phragmitis rhizoma ameliorates myelotoxicity of docetaxel in vitro and in vivo.

BACKGROUND: A variety of anticancer chemotherapeutics induce adverse side effects including myelotoxicity. Dried roots of Phragmites communis Trinius, Phragmitis rhizoma, have been clinically used in traditional folk medicine to relieve various symptoms like fever. In this study, we evaluated the protective effect of the aqueous extract of Phragmitis rhizoma (EPR) against docetaxel-induced myelotoxicity in vitro and in vivo. METHODS: The in vitro myelo-protective effect of EPR was evaluated using the colony forming unit (CFU) assay with hematopoietic progenitor cells. The in vivo efficacy of EPR was evaluated in myelosuppressed C57BL/6 male mice which were induced by repeated intraperitoneal injections of 30 mg/kg docetaxel for 3 times. EPR was orally administered for 4 days to docetaxel-induced myelosuppressed C57BL/6 male mice which were induced by intraperitoneal injection of 30 mg/kg docetaxel for 3 times: Group 1 (vehicle control, n = 10), Group 2 (docetaxel plus vehicle, n = 10), Group 3 (docetaxel plus EPR 30 mg/kg, n = 10), Group 4 (docetaxel plus EPR 100 mg/kg, n = 10) and Group 5 (docetaxel plus EPR 300 mg/kg, n = 10). Whole blood counts were measured automatically, and immune organs were histologically examined. Expression of immunomodulatory cytokines was measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The toxicity of EPR itself was evaluated in normal human cell lines including IMR-90, foreskin fibroblast and human umbilical vein endothelial cells. The hepatotoxicity of EPR was predicted by multi-parametric assays involving cell viability, caspase 3/7 activity, GSH contents and LDH leakage using the HepaRG hepatic cell line. RESULTS: Co-treatment of EPR or its major component, p-hydroxycinnamic acid, increased the numbers of hematopoietic CFU counts in the docetaxel-induced in vitro myelotoxicity assay system. The in vitro protective effect of EPR against docetaxel toxicity was replicated in a myelosuppressed animal model: white blood cells, neutrophils, lymphocytes and red blood cells rebounded; bone marrow niche and structural integrity of the thymus were preserved; and the expression of immune-stimulating cytokines including IL3, IL6, SCF and GM-CSF was enhanced. Furthermore, EPR and p-hydroxycinnamic acid promoted the proliferation of primary splenocytes and thymocytes. In the toxicity assays, no remarkable signs related with toxicity were observed in all tested normal human cells and HepaRG. CONCLUSIONS: EPR has the potential to ameliorate docetaxel-mediated myelotoxicity in both in vitro and in vivo models. However, the identification of the responsible active components and the precise underlying myelo-protective mechanism of EPR need to be elucidated before novel drug development using EPR can precede.

[Comparative study on effects of blood enriching on mouse model of blood deficiency syndrome induced by cyclophosphamide of albiflorin, paeoniflorin on levels of GM-CSF, IL-3 and TNF-α].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects and mechanism of blood enriching on mouse model of blood deficiency syndrome induced by cyclophosphamide of albiflorin and paeoniflorin. METHOD: Albiflorin and paeoniflorin were determined by using animal models of blood deficiency syndrome induced by cyclophosphamide. The amount of WBC, RBC, HGB, index of thymus gland and spleen, and the changes of GM-CSF, IL-3 and TNF-α in serum were detected after the treatment. RESULT: Compared with the model group, the amount of WBC in the group of 30 mg x kg(-1) albiflorin and 30 mg x kg(-1) paeoniflorin were increased obviously (P < 0.01). The amount of RBC in the group of 30 mg x kg(-1) albiflorin and 30 mg x kg(-1) paeoniflorin were increased obviously (P < 0.01, P < 0.001), which did not had a significant difference compared with the same dose. The index of thymus gland in the group of 30 mg x kg(-1) albiflorin was superior to the model group (P < 0.01), the difference was significant compared with the same dose of paeoniflorin (P < 0.05). The GM-CSF in serum in all groups of 30 mg x kg(-1) albiflorin, 15 mg x kg(-1) albiflorin, 30 mg x kg(-1) paeoniflorin and 15 mg x kg(-1) paeoniflorin increased obviously (P < 0.01, P < 0.05, P < 0.01, P < 0.05); The IL-3 in serum in both group of 30 mg x kg(-1) albiflorin and 30 mg x kg(-1) paeoniflorin also increased (P < 0.001). The content of TNF-α in group of 30 mg x kg(-1) albiflorin and 30 mg x kg(-1) paeoniflorin were reduced (P < 0.01), which showed the obvious difference compared with the same dose group (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Albiflorin had the effect of blood enriching by regulating the immune function, same with the paeoniflorin. The probable mechanism of nourishing blood and liver of Paeoniae Radix Alba was not only the better effect of adjusting the content of TNF-α, but also might act synergistically with paeoniflorin.

[Effect of modified shegan mahuang decoction on cytokines in children patients with cough and variant asthma].

OBJECTIVE: To study the influence of modified Shegan Mahuang Decoction (SGMH) on cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin (IL)-10 and IL-13 in children suffered from cough and variant asthma (C&VA). METHODS: One hundred and fifty-four children with C&VA were randomly assigned to two groups: 79 in the treatment group were medicated orally with SGMH one dose per day taking in twice; 75 in the control group were medicated with Montelukast once a day in dose of 4 mg for children aged from 2 to 5 years and 5 mg for those from 6 to 14 years, the medication for all was given 4 weeks. Serum contents of cytokines, including TNF-alpha, IL-10 and IL-13, in patients were measured before and after treatment. Besides, serum contents of these cytokines in 45 healthy children were measured for control. RESULTS: Serum levels of TNF-alpha and IL-3 in the treatment group were 2510 +/- 1500 ng/L and 60.76 +/- 23.67 ng/L, and in the control group, 2890 +/- 1410 ng/L and 61.56 +/- 20.37 ng/L, respectively, all were significantly higher than those of healthy (709 +/- 280 ng/L and 39.49 +/- 3.09 ng/L, P < 0.01); but level of IL-10 was significant lower in the two patient groups than that in control (1546 +/- 1434 ng/L and 1823 +/- 1314 ng/L vs 7123 +/- q2641 ng/L, P < 0.01). After treatment, the levels of TNF-alpha and IL-13 decreased and IL-10 increased significantly in the treatment group, and showed significant different to those in the control group respectively (960 +/- 420 ng/L, 43.67 +/- 12.37 ng/L and 6834 +/- 2216 ng/L vs 2610 +/- 1220 ng/L, 50.56 +/-19.56 ng/L and 2529 +/- 1223 ng/L, P < 0.01). Clinical efficacy between groups also showed that the total effective rate in the treatment group was significantly better (86.07% vs. 42.67%, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: SGMH can regulate the serum levels of TNF-alpha, IL-10 and IL-13, and shows evident clinical effect in treating children's C&VA.

The effect of 4 wk of oral echinacea supplementation on serum erythropoietin and indices of erythropoietic status.

The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether echinacea supplementation results in alterations of erythroid growth factors and erythropoietic status. Twenty-four men age 24.9 +/- 4.2 y, height 1.7 +/- 0.8 m, weight 87.9 +/- 14.6 kg, and 19.3% +/- 6.5% body fat were grouped using a double-blind design and self- administered an 8000-mg/d dose of either echinacea (ECH) or placebo (PLA) in 5 x 400 mg x 4 times/d for 28 d. Blood samples were collected and analyzed for red blood cells (RBCs), hematocrit (Hct), hemoglobin (Hb), mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin content, prostaglandin E2, ferritin, erythropoietin (EPO), interleukin 3 (IL-3), and granulocyte-macrophage-colony-stimulating factor using automated flow cytometry and ELISA. ANOVA was used to determine significant differences (P ? 0.05). EPO was greater (P < 0.001) in ECH at Days 7, 14, and 21 and reflected a 44%, 63%, and 36% increase, respectively. IL-3 was greater (P = 0.011) in ECH at Days 14 and 21, which indicated a 65% and 73% increase, respectively. These data indicate that ECH supplementation resulted in an increase in EPO and IL-3 but did not significantly alter RBCs, Hb, or Hct.