A phase I clinical study of Andrographis paniculata fixed combination Kan Jang versus ginseng and valerian on the semen quality of healthy male subjects

Botanicals in health and disease of the testis and male fertility: A scoping review

BACKGROUND

Male factor infertility often results from testicular disorders leading to inadequate sperm quantity and quality. Both beneficial and detrimental effects of botanical products, especially herbal medicines, on testicular functions and male fertility have been reported in the literature.

PURPOSE

This scoping review aims to map the main clinical evidence on different impacts of botanical entities on the testis and to critically appraise relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in the recent 5 years, so as to inform the future.

METHODS

Systematic reviews, meta-analyses and RCT reports on botanical impacts on testicular functions and male fertility were retrieved and synthesized from Pubmed, Web of Science, Scopus, Embase, ProQuest, Cochrane Library and Google Scholar up to 10th May 2022. RCTs published since 2018 were critically appraised against good practice guidelines for RCT and for reporting herbal studies.

RESULTS

We identified 24 systematic reviews and meta-analyses published since 2005, by authors from Iran (25%), China (21%), USA (12.5%) and 9 other countries. All but two were published in English. Only 3 systematic review protocols were identified, all published in English from China in the recent 3 years. We identified 125 RCTs published in six languages, mainly English (55%) and Chinese (42%). They were published since 1994 from 23 countries on all the six inhabitable continents, with China (46%), Australia (8%), USA (8%), India (7%) and Iran (5%) being the leading contributors. 72% and 28% RCTs published in English were on efficacy (botanicals vs placebo) and comparative effectiveness (a botanical vs other treatments), respectively. In contrast, 98% RCT reports in Chinese were on comparative effectiveness, with merely 2% on efficacy. Among all the 125 RCTs, 57% were studies in patients with semen abnormality and/or male infertility, 22% investigated herbal effects in healthy men, 14% were on patients with male sexual dysfunction and hypogonadism, and 7% were conducted in men with non-sexual disorders. Since 2018, 32 RCTs have been published, in English (69%) or Chinese (31%). Nineteen RCT reports from China, India, Japan and Korea all studied herbal formulae while the 13 RCT reports from Australia, Brazil, Czech and Italy, Iran, Malaysia, Spain, the UK and the USA all exclusively studied extracts of a single species. Putting geo-cultural differences aside, gossypol and extracts of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. f. were found to be detrimental to the testis and male fertility, while the extracts of Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal and traditional Chinese medicine Qilin Pill, etc., might improve testosterone levels and semen parameters, thus could be therapeutic for male sexual dysfunction and infertility. However, all still require further evaluation in view of recurring weaknesses in quality control of herbal materials, RCT design and reporting. For example, only 9%-23% of the RCTs published since 2018 provided information on voucher samples, chemical profiling, herbal authentication and herbal extraction.

CONCLUSION

Research on botanicals and the testis has been reported worldwide, demonstrating clear geo-cultural differences in studied plant species, botanical types, study objectives and quality of research design, implementation and reporting. Due to a few recurring weaknesses in the literature, this study is unable to recommend the use of any specific botanicals, however, current evidence does indicate that botanicals can be double-edged swords to the testis and male fertility. To secure better clinical evidence, future studies must faithfully implement existing and emerging good practice guidelines.

A Comprehensive Review of Andrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) Nees and Its Constituents as Potential Lead Compounds for COVID-19 Drug Discovery

The COVID-19 pandemic has intensively disrupted global health, economics, and well-being. Andrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) Nees has been used as a complementary treatment for COVID-19 in several Asian countries. This review aimed to summarize the information available regarding A. paniculata and its constituents, to provide critical points relating to its pharmacological properties, safety, and efficacy, revealing its potential to serve as a source of lead compounds for COVID-19 drug discovery. A. paniculata and its active compounds possess favorable antiviral, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and antipyretic activities that could be beneficial for COVID-19 treatment. Interestingly, recent in silico and in vitro studies have revealed that the active ingredients in A. paniculata showed promising activities against 3CLpro and its virus-specific target protein, human hACE2 protein; they also inhibit infectious virion production. Moreover, existing publications regarding randomized controlled trials demonstrated that the use of A. paniculata alone or in combination was superior to the placebo in reducing the severity of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) manifestations, especially as part of early treatment, without serious side effects. Taken together, its chemical and biological properties, especially its antiviral activities against SARS-CoV-2, clinical trials on URTI, and the safety of A. paniculata, as discussed in this review, support the argument that A. paniculata is a promising natural source for drug discovery regarding COVID-19 post-infectious treatment, rather than prophylaxis.

Pharmacokinetics and Metabolomic Profiling of Metformin and Andrographis paniculata: A Protocol for a Crossover Randomised Controlled Trial

This protocol aims to profile the pharmacokinetics of metformin and Andrographis paniculata (AP) and continue with untargeted pharmacometabolomics analysis on pre-dose and post-dose samples to characterise the metabolomics profiling associated with the human metabolic pathways. This is a single-centre, open-labelled, three periods, crossover, randomised-controlled, single-dose oral administration pharmacokinetics and metabolomics trial of metformin 1000 mg (n = 18), AP 1000 mg (n = 18), or AP 2000 mg (n = 18) in healthy volunteers under the fasting condition. Subjects will be screened according to a list of inclusion and exclusion criteria. Investigational products will be administered according to the scheduled timeline. Vital signs and adverse events will be monitor periodically, and standardized meals will be provided to the subjects. Fifteen blood samples will be collected over 24 h, and four urine samples will be collected within a 12 h period. Onsite safety monitoring throughout the study and seven-day phone call safety follow-up will be compiled after the last dose of administration. The plasma samples will be analysed for the pharmacokinetics parameters to estimate the drug maximum plasma concentration. Untargeted metabolomic analysis between pre-dose and maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) samples will be performed for metabolomic profiling to identify the dysregulation of human metabolic pathways that link to the pharmacodynamics effects. The metformin arm will focus on the individualised Cmax plasma concentration for metabolomics study and used as a model drug. After this, an investigation of the dose-dependent effects will be performed between pre-dose samples and median Cmax concentration samples in the AP 1000 mg and AP 2000 mg arms for metabolomics study. The study protocol utilises a crossover study design to incorporate a metabolomics-based study into pharmacokinetics trial in the drug development program. The combination analyses will complement the interpretation of pharmacological effects according to the bioavailability of the drug.

Phytomedicinal therapeutics for male infertility: critical insights and scientific updates

Infertility is a significant cause of anxiety, depression, and social stigma among couples and families. In such cases, male reproductive factors contribute widely to the extent of 20-70%. Male infertility is a multifactorial disease with several complications contributing to its diagnosis. Although its management encompasses both modern and traditional medicine arenas, the first line of treatment, adopted by most males, focuses on the reasonably successful medicinal plant-based conventional therapies. Phyto-therapeutics, which relies on active ingredients from traditionally known herbs, influences sexual behavior and male fertility factors. The potency of these phyto-actives depends on their preparation methods and forms of consumption, including decoctions, extracts, semi-purified compounds, etc., as inferred from in vitro and in vivo (laboratory animal models and human) studies. The mechanisms of action therein involve the testosterone pathway for stimulation of spermatogenesis, reduction of oxidative stress, inhibition of inflammation, activation of signaling pathways in the testes [extracellular-regulated kinase (ERK)/protein kinase B(PKB)/transformation of growth factor-beta 1(TGF-β1)/nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells NF-kB signaling pathways] and mediation of sexual behavior. This review critically focuses on the medicinal plants and their potent actives, along with the biochemical and molecular mechanisms that modulate vital pathways associated with the successful management of male infertility. Such intrinsic knowledge will significantly further studies on medicinal plants that improve male reproductive health.

Contraceptive potential of Andrographis paniculata is via androgen suppression and not induction of oxidative stress in male Wistar rats

Andrographis paniculata has been shown to be associated with male reproductive dysfunction, although the available data are scarce and inconsistent, and the associated mechanisms are elusive. Hormonal mechanism via hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis, and non-hormonal mechanism primarily through oxidative stress, are involved in the modulation of male reproductive function. We therefore, hypothesized that suppression of hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis and/or oxidative stress is involved in Andrographis paniculata-induced reproductive dysfunction. Male Wistar rats received either vehicle or Andrographis paniculata in varying doses of 250, 500, and 1000 mg/kg body weight daily for 8 weeks. Treatment with Andrographis paniculata led to reduced sperm count, motility, and viability. Andrographis paniculata treatment also resulted in distorted spermatogenesis and reduced serum testosterone. On the other hand, Andrographis paniculata led to reduction in the testicular content of malondialdehyde, nitric oxide, TNF-α, and IL-6, and testicular activities of xanthine oxidase and myeloperoxidase, but raised testicular levels of reduced glutathione content and enhanced activity of super oxide dismutase. However, body weight gain, and absolute and relative reproductive organ weights were similar across all the groups. These findings demonstrate that Andrographis paniculata induces reproductive toxicity via suppression of testosterone and not induction of oxidative stress. Therefore, Andrographis paniculata could be a potential and safe male contraceptive.

A Systematic Review on Use of Medicinal Plants for Male Infertility Treatment

Objective: Male infertility is involved in about half of the casess of infertility and the only sole reason for infertility in 20%-30% of the cases. Following the recent interest in the use of medicinal plants, scientists have sought to clarify their effects on male fertility. This review aimed to summarize the results of studies available to determine the effectiveness, safety and mechanism of herbal treatments in the improvement of male fertility.

Materials and methods: Medline/PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Central) databases were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published during 2000-2020. Studies were only included if they adhered to the CONSORT checklist. The methodological quality of the selected studies was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool.

Results: Finally, 20 studies recruiting a total of 1519 individuals were reviewed. These studies compared the effects of eleven different medicinal plants, i.e. ginseng, saffron, Nigella sativa, palm pollen, ADOFON, TOPALAF, sesame, and Mucuna pruriens, on male fertility with those of placebo. All studies (except one) confirmed the beneficial effects of medicinal plants on the improvement of sperm and reproductive parameters and thus male infertility.

Conclusion: The existing RCTs indicated the positive effects of medicinal plants on male fertility. Therefore, in order to develop a novel approach to the treatment of male infertility, further clinical trials are warranted to determine the maximum dosage and duration of treatment with herbal medicines and evaluate any potential side effects of such interventions.

Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Nees: Traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacological properties and quality control/quality assurance

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Nees is a medicinal herb of the Asian countries used in many traditional medicinal systems for the treatment of diarrhea, flu, leprosy, leptospirosis, malaria, rabies, upper respiratory infections, sinusitis, syphilis, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS etc. AIM OF THE STUDY: This review aims to provide the comprehensive, accurate and authentic information on traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacological properties of various extracts/fractions as well as phytocostituents of A. paniculata. In addition, this review also aims to provide advance and sensitive analytical methods along with chemical markers used in the standardization of herbal products for quality control (QC)/quality assurance (QA).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

All relevant publications were considered within the years 1983-2020. The publications were searched from Google Scholar, PubChem, Chemspider, PubMed, Elsevier, Wiley, Web of Science, China Knowledge Resource Integrated databases and ResearchGate using a combination of various relevant keywords. Besides, relevant published books and chapters were also considered those providing an overview of extant secondary literature related to traditional knowledge, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicity of the plant.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

In this review, 344 compounds, including, terpenoid lactones, flavonoids, phenolic acids, triterpenes and volatile compounds were summarized out of which more than half of the compounds have no reported pharmacological activities yet. Terpenoid lactones and flavonoids are the major bioactive classes of compounds of A. paniculata which are responsible for pharmacological activities such as anticancer and antioxidant activities, respectively. Biosynthetic pathways and active sites for target proteins of both terpenoid lactones and flavonoids were considered. Analgesic, anticancer, antidiabetic, antifertility, antiinflammatory, antimalarial, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antipyretic, antiviral, antiretroviral, antivenom, cardioprotective, hepatoprotective, immunomodulatory and neuroprotective activities have been also reported. Andrographolide is a major characteristic active principle and responsible for most of the pharmacological activities. Therefore, andrographolide has been selected as a marker for the standardization of raw and marketed herbal products by TLC, HPTLC, HPLC, GC-MS, HPLC-MS and HPLC-MS/MS methods for QC/QA.

CONCLUSIONS

Conclusive evidence showed that the pharmacological activities reported in crude extracts and chemical markers are supporting and provides confidence in the traditional use of A. paniculata as a herbal medicine. The andrographolide could be used as a chemical marker for the QC/QA of raw and A. paniculata derived herbal products. Lactone ring in terpenoid lactone is an active site for targeted proteins. More efforts should be focused on the identification of the chemical markers from A. paniculata to provide a practical basis for QC/QA. Several aspects such as the mechanism of therapeutic potential, molecular docking technology and multi-target network pharmacology are very important for drug discovery and needed more investigation and should be considered. This compilation may be helpful in further study and QC/QA.

Andrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) Wall. ex Nees: An Updated Review of Phytochemistry, Antimicrobial Pharmacology, and Clinical Safety and Efficacy

Infectious disease (ID) is one of the top-most serious threats to human health globally, further aggravated by antimicrobial resistance and lack of novel immunization options. Andrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) Wall. ex Nees and its metabolites have been long used to treat IDs. Andrographolide, derived from A. paniculata, can inhibit invasive microbes virulence factors and regulate the host immunity. Controlled clinical trials revealed that A. paniculata treatment is safe and efficacious for acute respiratory tract infections like common cold and sinusitis. Hence, A. paniculata, mainly andrographolide, could be considered as an excellent candidate for antimicrobial drug development. Considering the importance, medicinal values, and significant role as antimicrobial agents, this study critically evaluated the antimicrobial therapeutic potency of A. paniculata and its metabolites, focusing on the mechanism of action in inhibiting invasive microbes and biofilm formation. A critical evaluation of the secondary metabolites with the aim of identifying pure compounds that possess antimicrobial functions has further added significant values to this study. Notwithstanding that A. paniculata is a promising source of antimicrobial agents and safe treatment for IDs, further empirical research is warranted.

Ginseng for Improving Semen Quality Parameters: A Systematic Review

Purpose

Ginseng has been used as a tonic to improve overall health, restore balance in the body, help the body to heal itself, reduce stress, boost energy, and enhance the immune system. The aim of this review was to assess current evidence that ginseng improves sperm quality.

Materials and Methods

We searched twelve databases (PubMed, EMBASE, AMED, the Cochrane Library, five Korean medical databases, and three Chinese medical databases), using a cut-off date of 1st December 2019. We included clinical studies in which healthy men or men with fertility issues were treated with ginseng. We used Cochrane's risk of bias (ROB) tool to assess the ROB in the studies examined.

Results

From two-hundred and nineteen potentially eligible studies, just five relevant studies were selected (two randomized clinical trials [RCTs], one controlled clinical trial [CCT], and two observational studies). Of these studies, one RCT reported some positive results when using Korean red ginseng to improve sperm quality in infertile men. In addition, the other RCT reported that the effects of ginseng on sperm quality were equivalent to those found when valerian tablets are taken by healthy people. One CCT and two uncontrolled observational studies, however, did not demonstrate the clear effectiveness of ginseng in improving sperm quality in infertile men.

Conclusions

Currently, there are few trials investigating the efficacy of ginseng for improving sperm quality. The available studies demonstrate a high ROB. It can be suggested that overall, the evidence regarding ginseng improving sperm quality is limited.

Tradition in treating taboo: Folkloric medicinal wisdom of the aboriginals of Purulia district, West Bengal, India against sexual, gynaecological and related disorders

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

In order to explore the traditional medicine practised by the ethnic communities residing in the topographically and climatically challenged Purulia, an underprivileged district of West Bengal, India, a quantitative ethnobiological approach was adopted to document the folkloric use of ethnomedicinals against different sexual, gynaecological and related ailments.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Ethnobiological surveys were conducted during 2012-2015 by interviewing 82 informants or traditional healers with the help of a semi-structured questionnaire. The survey included questions on botanical and non-botanical ingredients and additives mixed with monoherbal and polyherbal formulations, vernacular names of the plants and animals, methods of preparation and administration and restrictions during medications. Additional quantitative indices such as use value, informant׳s consensus factor and fidelity level were used for data analysis.

RESULTS

Twenty eight sexual and gynaecological disorders were found to be treated with 18 monoherbal and 31 polyherbal formulations consisting of a total number of 96 plant species from 86 genera and 47 families and four animal species. A variety of additives, either botanicals or non-botanicals were used with the formulations for higher efficacy and taste enhancement. Fabaceae (16 species) was found to be the most common family of medicinal plants whereas herbs (42.7%) and roots (32%) were the most common habit type and plant part used respectively. Use value, informant׳s consensus factor and fidelity level indicate frequency and coherence of citations.

CONCLUSION

Age old belief on traditional medicine prevails in the studied area due to its efficacy, inexpensive price and the remoteness of tribal villages from conventional medical centres. Traditional healers had detailed knowledge of preparations, doses, methods of administration, restrictions during medications, safety and efficacy of using folkloric therapeutics against sexual and gynaecological disorders. Possible synergistic interactions among phytochemicals and additives were indicated to explain enhanced therapeutic efficacy of mixed herbal formulations.

Andrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) Wall. ex Nees: a review of ethnobotany, phytochemistry, and pharmacology

As aboriginal sources of medications, medicinal plants are used from the ancient times. Andrographis paniculata is one of the highly used potential medicinal plants in the world. This plant is traditionally used for the treatment of common cold, diarrhoea, fever due to several infective cause, jaundice, as a health tonic for the liver and cardiovascular health, and as an antioxidant. It is also used to improve sexual dysfunctions and serve as a contraceptive. All parts of this plant are used to extract the active phytochemicals, but the compositions of phytoconstituents widely differ from one part to another and with place, season, and time of harvest. Our extensive data mining of the phytoconstituents revealed more than 55 ent-labdane diterpenoids, 30 flavonoids, 8 quinic acids, 4 xanthones, and 5 rare noriridoids. In this review, we selected only those compounds that pharmacology has already reported. Finally we focused on around 46 compounds for further discussion. We also discussed ethnobotany of this plant briefly. Recommendations addressing extraction process, tissue culture, and adventitious rooting techniques and propagation under abiotic stress conditions for improvement of phytoconstituents are discussed concisely in this paper. Further study areas on pharmacology are also proposed where needed.

Evaluation of the spermicidal and contraceptive activity of Platycodin D, a Saponin from Platycodon grandiflorum

BACKGROUND

The extract of Platycodon grandiflorum has been reported to have effective spermicidal activity. This study was designed to evaluate the spermicidal and contraceptive activity, as well as the safety, of Platycodin D (PD), a major saponin in Platycodon grandiflorum.

METHODS

Using the computer-aided sperm analysis (CASA) test criteria, the sperm-immobilizing activity of PD was studied using highly motile human sperm. The sperm viability was assessed by fluorescent staining using SYBR-14 (living sperm) and propidium iodide (dead sperm). The sperm membrane integrity was assessed by evaluating the hypo-osmotic swelling (HOS) and examinations by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The in vivo contraceptive efficacy was evaluated in rats using post-intrauterine PD application. The comet assay was employed to determine whether PD caused DNA damage in the sperm. Vaginal biopsies were also performed to determine whether the PD gel induced vaginal inflammation.

RESULTS

A dose-dependent effect of PD on the sperm motility and viability was observed. The maximum spermicidal effect was observed with a 0.25 mM concentration of PD. More than 70% of the PD-treated sperm lost their HOS responsiveness at a concentration of 0.20 mM PD, indicating that PD caused injury to the sperm plasma membrane. TEM and SEM revealed significant damage to both the head and tail membranes of the sperm. PD decreased the fertility to zero in rats, was non-DNA damaging and was not harmful to the vaginal tissue in the rats.

CONCLUSION

PD has significant spermicidal activity that should be explored in further studies.

Nain-e Havandi Andrographis paniculata present yesterday, absent today: a plenary review on underutilized herb of Iran's pharmaceutical plants

Nain-e Havandi (Andrographis paniculata Nees.) (AP) is an annual herbaceous plant belonging to the family Acanthacea. Only a few species of Andrographis genus out of 28 are medicinally concerned of which AP is the most important. Knowledge about the arrival of AP to Iran is extremely lacking but most probably it has been imported from India. However, evidence implies the familiarity of Iran's folkloric medicine with this plant, but it has been disappeared from contemporary medicine for unknown reasons. Presence of active ingredients from diterpenoids group such as andrographolide, neoandrographolide and 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide has given incredible unique medicinal properties to the plant. Traditionally, Nain-e Havandi has been used in the role of a non-farm plant as a remedy for skin problems, flu, respiratory disease, and snakebite in East and Southeast Asia for centuries. Recently, it has been utilized as a treatment for HIV, hepatitis, diabetes, cancer and kidney disorders. Intensive cultivation of the herb started only in the past decade in countries such as China, India, Thailand, Indonesia, West Indies, Mauritius and to some extent, in Malaysia. Availability of different ecological zones in Iran complies with reestablishment of AP in tropical and temperate regions of the country. This is killing two birds with one stone, supporting the conservational and economic aspects.

Antifertility effects of herbs: Need for responsible reporting

Evaluation of herbs for antifertility effects has been in progress worldwide for several decades to identify effective and safe substances for control of population explosion. Inspite of availability of internationally accepted guidelines for the assessment of reproductive toxicity/antifertility potential of test substances, many published articles, on critical review, seem to lack reproducibility and are thus likely to mislead both the scientific community and the general public. This paper, while emphasizing the importance of generating authentic toxicity/safety information on acclaimed medicinal herbs, spells out existing pitfalls in such studies, and explores some control measures worth considering in times to come.

Medicinal plants as potential male anti-infertility agents: a review

For millions of couples, the inability to have a child is a personal tragedy and a large proportion of childless people are confronted with social stigmatization (blame) and personal frustration. Formerly assigned to women, infertility of a couple is nowadays equitably distributed between the two sexes. Among the methods used to treat male infertility problems, medicinal plants have been used empirically as extracts, decoctions, fractions or semi-purified compounds. These herbal products are used in the treatment of a dysfunctioning of the libido, sexual asthenia, erection, and sperm disorders. Pharmacological activities of many of these plants have been shown in vitro using cells, in vivo (on laboratory animals) and human studies. For instance, extracts of Panax ginseng, Panax quinquefolius and Lepidium meyenii have shown positive effects on sexual desire; while extracts of Astragalus membranaceus, Asparagus racemous, Withania somnifera, Andrographis paniculata and Acanthopanax senticosus improved sperm parameters. Plants provide a treatment option that is affordable and available for infertile couples, and phytotherapy is an essential form of treatment in our health system. However, herbal products are still anarchically used in many regions and countries, and a great proportion of medicinal plants used traditionally to solve male reproductive disorders have not yet been scientifically evaluated. Therefore in this review, we have summarized most of the data dealing with the effects of plant extracts on mammalian reproductive functions.

Reproductive and Fertility Effects of an Extract of Andrographis paniculata in Male Wistar Rats

The possible effect of extract of Andrographis paniculata Nees ( A paniculata) standardized to ≥10% andrographolide, the main bioactive component, on male fertility in albino Wistar rats was evaluated, by orally administering 0, 20, 200, and 1000 mg/kg of body weight per day, for 65 days prior to mating and 21 days during mating. The treated groups showed no signs of dose-dependent toxicity. The body weight gain and feed consumption were not affected at any of the dose levels. The testosterone levels and fertility indices in treatment groups were found to be comparable with that of the control indicating no effect on fertility. Total sperm count and sperm motility were not affected. The testes and epididymides did not show any gross and histopathological changes. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that the no-observed adverse effect level of extract of A paniculata (≥10% andrographolide) was found to be more than 1000 mg/kg per day.

Inhibition of NFkappaB reduces cellular viability in GH3 pituitary adenoma cells

OBJECTIVE

Adenomas of the pituitary gland are among the most common types of tumors of the adult brain. Although adenomas are histologically benign, they may be associated with significant morbidity and mortality, mostly because of their invasive growth pattern and hormone hypersecretion. Current medical therapies are suppressive, acting at a receptor level. Thus, there is a need to identify novel cellular and molecular targets for pituitary tumors. We investigated the possible role of the NFkappaB transcription factor in pituitary tumor cell growth.

METHODS

The effect of NFkappaB pathway inhibition on cellular viability was studied in the GH3 pituitary adenoma cell line, a well-characterized rat cell line that secretes growth hormone and prolactin. Cells were treated with mechanistically diverse pharmacological NFkappaB pathway inhibitors or with molecular inhibitors that were overexpressed in tumor cells before the assessment of cellular viability. NFkappaB activity was also assessed in GH3 cells using deoxyribonucleic acid binding assays.

RESULTS

GH3 cells exhibited constitutive NFkappaB activity, which contributed to increased cellular proliferation. Treatment with wedelolactone, an IkappaB kinase inhibitor, or overexpression of an IkappaB super-repressor reduced cell viability, further implicating NFkappaB in pituitary tumor cell growth. Pharmacological or molecular inhibition of Akt similarly reduced GH3 viability and NFkappaB binding, suggesting that constitutive activation of NFkappaB may be, at least in part, mediated by Akt.

CONCLUSION

Directed targeting of the Akt and NFkappaB signaling pathways may be a useful adjunct in the clinical management of pituitary tumors. Further elucidation of this pathway may yield novel information regarding the behavior of pituitary tumors in humans.

Potential medicinal plants for CNS disorders: an overview

Although very few drugs are currently approved by regulatory authorities for treating multi-factorial ailments and disorders of cognition such as Alzheimer's disease, certain plant-derived agents, including, for example, galantamine and rivastigmine (a semi-synthetic derivative of physostigmine) are finding an application in modern medicine. However, in Ayurveda, the Indian traditional system of medicine which is more than 5000 years old, selected plants have long been classified as 'medhya rasayanas', from the Sanskrit words 'medhya', meaning intellect or cognition, and 'rasayana', meaning 'rejuvenation'. These plants are used both in herbal and conventional medicine and offer benefits that pharmaceutical drugs lack. In the present article, an attempt has been made to review the most important medicinal plants, including Ginkgo biloba, St John's wort, Kava-kava, Valerian, Bacopa monniera and Convolvulus pluricaulis, which are widely used for their reputed effectiveness in CNS disorders.