Antioxidant
and Antiplatelet Effects of Dang Gui Shao Yao San
Shen AY, et al. Basic Medical Science Education Center, Fooyin University Ta-Liao,
Kaohsiung County, Taiwan.
Dang Gui Shao Yao San (DGSYS) is a formula of medicinal herbs, which has long
been used in traditional Chinese medicine for treating anemia and ovulary
disorders. Its preparation comprises Angelicae sinensis, Ligustucum chuanxiong ,
Paeonia lactiflora, Poria cocos, Atractylodis macrocephala and Alisma orientalis.
The present study examined the anti-superoxide formation, free radical
scavenging and anti-lipid peroxidation activities of DGSYS by xanthine oxidase
inhibition, cytochrome C system with superoxide anion released by the fMLP or
PMA activating pathway in human neutrophils, and FeCl2 ascorbic acid-induced
lipid peroxidation effects on lipids in rat liver homogenate, respectively.
DGSYS showed anti-superoxide formation and free radical scavenging activity in a
concentration-dependent manner. It also inhibited PMA- but not fMLP-induced
superoxide anion released from human neutrophils. These antioxidant actions of
DGSYS showed beneficial cytoprotective effects against lipid peroxidation in rat
liver homogenate, human platelet aggregation induced by arachidonic acid (AA)
and adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and mitomycin C-mediated hemolytic in human
erythrocytes.
Source: PubMed
Acupuncture
for Osteoarthritic Pain Linde K, el al. Centre for
Complementary Medicine Research, Department of Internal Medicine II, Technische
Universitat Munchen, Kaiserstrasse 9, 80801 Munich, Germany.
Patients with chronic pain due to osteoarthritis (ICD-10 diagnoses M15 to M19),
treated with acupuncture as the leading form of therapy, were included in an
observational study. Detailed questionnaires including instruments to measure
pain intensity (numerical rating scales from 0 to 10), disability (Pain
Disability Index) and quality of life (SF-36) were filled in before treatment,
after treatment and at 6 months. Patients suffering from osteoarthritis of the
knee and hip also filled in the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC)
Osteoarthritis Index questionnaire.
A total of 736 patients were included in the main analysis. Seventy (10%)
patients and 278 (38%) patients, respectively, suffered exclusively from primary
osteoarthritis of the hip or knee, 239 (33%) from another type of osteoarthritis
and 149 (20%) had more than one affected joint. On average, patients received
8.7 +/- 3.1 acupuncture treatments. Statistically significant and clinically
relevant improvements were seen in all subgroups both after treatment and at 6
months in all major outcome measures. In patients with osteoarthritis of the
hip, the WOMAC sum score was 47.9 +/- 20.7 at baseline, 34.8 +/- 20.0 after
treatment and 33.1 +/- 22.2 at 6 months. The respective values in patients with
osteoarthritis of the knee were 51.7 +/- 20.9, 34.1 +/- 23.3 and 34.6 +/- 25.1.
In this study, patients with chronic pain due to osteoarthritis reported
clinically relevant improvements after acupuncture treatment. Due to the
uncontrolled design and the high proportion of patients lost to follow-up, the
study findings must be interpreted cautiously.
Source: PubMed
Puerariae Radix
Prevents Bone Loss in Castrated Male Mice
Wang X, Wu, et al. Division of Applied Food Research, National
Institute of Health and Nutrition, Tokyo 162-8636, Japan.
Puerariae radix (PR) is one of the earliest and most important crude herbs used
in Chinese medicine for various medicinal purposes. PR contains a high amount of
isoflavonoids, such as daidzein and genistein, which are known to prevent bone
loss induced by estrogen deficiency. We have demonstrated that PR not only
completely prevents bone loss but also significantly increases the bone mass at
high doses in ovariectomized mice without exhibiting estrogenic action in the
uterus. In this study, we examined whether PR exhibits effects on bone loss in
androgen-deficient male mice similar to estrogen-deficient female mice. Male
mice were orchidectomized (ORX) and fed a diet containing low, middle, and high
doses (5%, 10%, and 20% of diet, respectively) of PR or normal diet with
subcutaneous administration of 17beta-estradiol (E(2), 0.03 microg/d; Sigma, St
Louis, Mo), for 4 weeks. In ORX mice, the seminal vesicle weight decreased
markedly, and it was not affected by the administration of any doses of PR and
E(2). The bone mineral density (BMD) of the whole femur was significantly
decreased by ORX, and the decrease in BMD was completely prevented by intake of
the diet with the low dose of PR. Intake of the diet with the middle dose of PR
further normalized BMD in ORX mice. Furthermore, the high dose of PR
administration (PR20) significantly increased BMD in ORX mice, and the potency
was similar to that of E(2). Morphometric analysis of the femoral metaphysis
showed that intake of the diet with the low dose of PR completely prevented the
decrease in bone volume/tissue volume and trabecular number and restored the
increase in trabecular separation in ORX mice. In addition, intake of the diet
with the high dose of PR further increased bone volume/tissue volume and
trabecular number and decreased trabecular separation in ORX mice. These results
propose the possibility that estrogenic Chinese herbs such as PR can be one of
the candidates for the treatment or prevention of osteoporosis in elderly men
with hypogonadism.
Source: PubMed
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