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Della Corte L, Noventa M, Ciebiera M, Magliarditi M, Sleiman Z, Karaman E, Catena U, Salvaggio C, Falzone G, Garzon S. Phytotherapy in endometriosis: an up-to-date review. JOURNAL OF COMPLEMENTARY & INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE 2020; 17:jcim-2019-0084. [PMID: 31532753 DOI: 10.1515/jcim-2019-0084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Accepted: 07/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Endometriosis is a benign gynecological disease which symptoms can provide a severe impact on patient's quality of life with subsequent impact on psychological well-being. Different therapeutic strategies are available to treat this disease, such as surgery, hormonal therapies, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Nevertheless, the efficacy of conventional medical treatments is limited or intermittent in most of the patients due to the associated side effects. Therefore, a woman with endometriosis often search for additional and alternative options, and phytotherapy might be a promising alternative and complementary strategy. Different medicinal plants, multicomponent herbal preparations, and phytochemicals were investigated for pharmacological proprieties in endometriosis therapy. In most of the cases, the effect on endometriosis was related to phenolic compounds, such as flavonoids and phenolic acids reporting anti-inflammatory, proapoptotic, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory functions. Moreover, some phytochemicals have been related to a strong phytoestrogenic effect modulating the estrogen activity. Although promising, available evidence is based on in vitro and animal models of endometriosis with a limited number of well-performed clinical studies. There are almost none randomized control trials in this area. Therefore, properly constructed clinical trials are mandatory to achieve more conclusive results about the promising role of phytotherapy in the management of endometriosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luigi Della Corte
- Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Sciences and Dentistry, School of Medicine, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Marco Noventa
- Department of Women and Children's Health, Clinic of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Michal Ciebiera
- Second Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Center of Postgraduate Medical Education, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Maria Magliarditi
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Policlinico Universitario Gazzi, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Zaki Sleiman
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Lebanese American University, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Erbil Karaman
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yuzuncu Yil University Medical Faculty, Van, Turkey
| | - Ursula Catena
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Calogero Salvaggio
- Azienda Sanitaria Provinciale 2 Caltanissetta, "Sant'Elia" Hospital, Caltanissetta, Italy
| | - Giovanni Falzone
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology Unit, "Umberto I" Hospital, Enna, Italy
| | - Simone Garzon
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, "Filippo Del Ponte" Hospital, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
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Ilhan M, Gürağaç Dereli FT, Akkol EK. Novel Drug Targets with Traditional Herbal Medicines for Overcoming Endometriosis. Curr Drug Deliv 2019; 16:386-399. [PMID: 30588884 PMCID: PMC6637095 DOI: 10.2174/1567201816666181227112421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2018] [Revised: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 12/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Endometriosis is a disease in which the lining of the endometrium is found outside of the uterus. Recent medical treatments for endometriosis have adverse effects, limiting their long-term use. Furthermore, the recurrence of the disease after the cessation of therapy is quite common, and most patients need to continue treatment to maintain a hypoestrogenic environment till conception. Notwithstanding recent advances in computational and chemical practices, traditional medicines are considered the most consistent sources for the discovery of new drugs. Numerous medicinal plants and plantderived compounds have been tested against gynecological disorders, mainly endometriosis. This review aimed to describe the pharmacological activity profile of the medicinal plants and their active ingredients and draw attention to the discovery of multitargeted drug molecules for rational therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mert Ilhan
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Gazi University, Etiler 06330, Ankara, Turkey.,Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Van Yuzuncu Yil University, Tusba 65080, Van, Turkey
| | | | - Esra Küpeli Akkol
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Gazi University, Etiler 06330, Ankara, Turkey
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Bina F, Soleymani S, Toliat T, Hajimahmoodi M, Tabarrai M, Abdollahi M, Rahimi R. Plant-derived medicines for treatment of endometriosis: A comprehensive review of molecular mechanisms. Pharmacol Res 2018; 139:76-90. [PMID: 30412733 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2018.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2018] [Revised: 11/01/2018] [Accepted: 11/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent disease with inflammatory lesions at extra-uterine sites, causing pelvic pain and fertility reduction. Conventional therapies primarily focus on reducing systemic levels of estrogens; however, they do not have desirable effectiveness and possess considerable side effects. Therefore, there is a growing interest in the use of herbal medicine for the treatment of endometriosis. In this paper, electronic databases including PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane library and Google Scholar were searched to obtain any studies evaluating any herbal products in the management of endometriosis. Data were collected from 1980 to 2018. Most of studies investigating the effect of herbal medicines in endometriosis were in vitro and animal and only three clinical trials were found; one on Pinus pinaster bark extract (Pycnogenol) and two on Chinese herbal formulas. The studies on phytochemicals had mostly focused on polyphenolic compounds (epigallocatechin-3-gallate, genistein) and sesquiterpenes (β-caryophyllene, parthenolide). Various molecular mechanisms of action have been involved in beneficial effects of herbal medicines and phytochemicals including anti-inflammatory (via reduction of proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukin -1, interleukin -6, interleukin -8, transforming growth factor-beta, tumor necrosis factor-α, nuclear factor-kappa B, growth factors, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1), antioxidant (through downregulation of hydrogen peroxide, malondialdehyde, reactive oxygen species and upregulation of superoxide dismutase), anti-proliferative and apoptotic (via enhancing Bcl-2-associated X protein/ B-cell lymphoma-2 and caspase3, 8 and 9 activity), anti-angiogenic (by downregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor receptors/ vascular endothelial growth factor), anti-invasive (via decreasing expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 and matrix metalloproteinases), immunomodulatory, and estrogen modulating activities. So, medicinal plants seem to be a valuable source for identifying new drugs for treatment of endometriosis; however, since most of studies are preclinical, further clinical trials are required to achieve more conclusive results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Bina
- Department of Traditional Pharmacy, School of Persian Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Samaneh Soleymani
- Department of Traditional Pharmacy, School of Persian Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Tayebeh Toliat
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mannan Hajimahmoodi
- Department of Drug and Food Control, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Malihe Tabarrai
- Department of Persian Medicine, School of Persian Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Abdollahi
- Toxicology and Diseases Group, The Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (TIPS), Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Roja Rahimi
- Department of Traditional Pharmacy, School of Persian Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Evidence-based Evaluation of Cost-Effectiveness and Clinical Outcomes Group, The Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (TIPS), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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Zheng W, Cao L, Xu Z, Ma Y, Liang X. Anti-Angiogenic Alternative and Complementary Medicines for the Treatment of Endometriosis: A Review of Potential Molecular Mechanisms. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE : ECAM 2018; 2018:4128984. [PMID: 30402122 PMCID: PMC6191968 DOI: 10.1155/2018/4128984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2018] [Revised: 08/15/2018] [Accepted: 08/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Endometriosis is caused by the growth or infiltration of endometrial tissues outside of the endometrium and myometrium. Symptoms include pain and infertility. Surgery and hormonal therapy are widely used in Western medicine for the treatment of endometriosis; however, the side effects associated with this practice include disease recurrence and menopause, which can severely influence quality of life. Angiogenesis is the main biological mechanism underlying the development of endometriosis. Numerous natural products and Chinese medicines with potent anti-angiogenic effects have been investigated, and the molecular basis underlying their therapeutic effects in endometriosis has been explored. This review aims to describe natural products and compounds that suppress angiogenesis associated with endometriosis and to assess their diverse molecular mechanisms of action. Furthermore, this review provides a source of information relating to alternative and complementary therapeutic products that mediate anti-angiogenesis. An extensive review of the literature and electronic databases, such as the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, PubMed, and Embase, was conducted using the keywords 'endometriosis,' 'traditional Chinese medicine,' 'Chinese herbal medicine,' 'natural compounds,' and 'anti-angiogenic' therapy. Anti-angiogenic therapy is an emerging strategy for the treatment of endometriosis. Natural anti-angiogenic products and Chinese medicines provide several beneficial clinical effects, including pain relief. In this review, we summarize clinical trials and experimental studies of endometriosis using natural products and Chinese medicines. In particular, we focus on anti-angiogenic products and alternative and complementary medicines for the treatment of endometriosis and additionally examine their therapeutic efficacy and mechanisms of action. Anti-angiogenic natural products and/or compounds provide a new approach for the treatment of endometriosis. Future work will require randomized trials with larger numbers of subjects, as well as long-term follow-up to confirm the findings described here.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lixing Cao
- Team of Application of Chinese Medicine in Perioperative Period, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, China
| | - Zheng Xu
- Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, China
| | - Yuanyuan Ma
- Department of Gynecology, Anyang Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China
| | - Xuefang Liang
- Department of Gynecology, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, China
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Bruner-Tran KL, Mokshagundam S, Herington JL, Ding T, Osteen KG. Rodent Models of Experimental Endometriosis: Identifying Mechanisms of Disease and Therapeutic Targets. CURRENT WOMEN'S HEALTH REVIEWS 2018; 14:173-188. [PMID: 29861705 PMCID: PMC5925870 DOI: 10.2174/1573404813666170921162041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2017] [Revised: 08/03/2017] [Accepted: 08/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although it has been more than a century since endometriosis was initially described in the literature, understanding the etiology and natural history of the disease has been challenging. However, the broad utility of murine and rat models of experimental endometriosis has enabled the elucidation of a number of potentially targetable processes which may otherwise promote this disease. OBJECTIVE To review a variety of studies utilizing rodent models of endometriosis to illustrate their utility in examining mechanisms associated with development and progression of this disease. RESULTS Use of rodent models of endometriosis has provided a much broader understanding of the risk factors for the initial development of endometriosis, the cellular pathology of the disease and the identification of potential therapeutic targets. CONCLUSION Although there are limitations with any animal model, the variety of experimental endometriosis models that have been developed has enabled investigation into numerous aspects of this disease. Thanks to these models, our under-standing of the early processes of disease development, the role of steroid responsiveness, inflammatory processes and the peritoneal environment has been advanced. More recent models have begun to shed light on how epigenetic alterations con-tribute to the molecular basis of this disease as well as the multiple comorbidities which plague many patients. Continued de-velopments of animal models which aid in unraveling the mechanisms of endometriosis development provide the best oppor-tunity to identify therapeutic strategies to prevent or regress this enigmatic disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaylon L. Bruner-Tran
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Women’s Reproductive Health Research Center, Nashville, TN37232, USA
| | - Shilpa Mokshagundam
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Women’s Reproductive Health Research Center, Nashville, TN37232, USA
| | - Jennifer L. Herington
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN37232, USA
| | - Tianbing Ding
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Women’s Reproductive Health Research Center, Nashville, TN37232, USA
| | - Kevin G. Osteen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Women’s Reproductive Health Research Center, Nashville, TN37232, USA
- VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, NashvilleTN37212, USA
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