Morphofunctional Renal Alterations in Progeny of Mice Fed Rhodiola kirilowii Extracts or Epigallocatechin During Pregnancy and Lactation

Herbal Medicines-Are They Effective and Safe during Pregnancy?

Since the teratogenicity of Thalidomide has been proven, herbal products are more commonly used in pregnancy to not only relieve morning sickness but also to fight infections. These products are frequently considered as natural and therefore harmless. However, herbs contain a number of active substances that, when used during pregnancy, can affect the development of the fetus. Often, pregnant women do not consult the usage of herbal medicines with a physician. The access to these products is easy and treatment of certain ailments with the use of herbs is common in many countries. The aim of the present literature review was to discuss available data regarding the efficacy and safety of cranberry, chamomile, Echinacea purpurea, garlic, ginger, Ginkgo biloba, and peppermint, which are used to counteract the most common ailments during pregnancy, i.e., infections and pregnancy-related ailments (e.g., nausea and vomiting, dizziness, and headache). Analysis of available data showed that ginger is one of the most extensively analyzed herbal remedies. The dose of ginger below 1000 mg per day may help to relief hypereremesis gravidarum, and such an amount of ginger did not increase frequency of adverse effects for either woman or developing fetus. Data regarding other herbs are most often heterogeneous and give conflicting results with no clear conclusions. However, all herbal products should be used with a special caution in pregnancy. Further high-quality human studies should be determined to confirm the safe doses of herbal products which could be used by pregnant or breast-feeding women.

Development of natural products for anti-PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy against cancer

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)/programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) immune checkpoint is one of the most promising therapeutic targets for cancer immunotherapy, but several challenges remain in current anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy. Natural products, mainly derived from traditional medicine, could improve and expand anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy because of their advantages such as large diversity and multi-target effects.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This review summarize natural products, raw extracts, and traditional medicines with pharmacological effects associated with the PD-1/PD-L1 axis, particularly PD-L1.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Electronic literature databases, including Web of Science, PubMed, and ScienceDirect, and online drugs and chemicals databases, including DrugBank, ZINC, PubChem, STITCH, and CTD, were searched without date limitation by February 2021. 'Natural product or herb or herbal plant or traditional medicine' and 'PD-L1' and 'Cancer immunotherapy' were used as the search keywords. Among 112 articles identified in database searching, 54 articles are full text articles, reporting in silico, in vitro, in vivo and clinical trials. 68 articles included are review articles and grey literature such as thesis and congress abstracts.

RESULTS

Several natural products and traditional medicines have exhibited diverse and multi-functional effects including direct blockade of PD-1/PD-L1 interactions, modulation of PD-L1 expression, and cooperation with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors.

CONCLUSION

Natural products and traditional medicines can facilitate the development of more effective and acceptable diverse strategies for anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy, but further exploration of natural products and pharmaceutical techniques is required.

Supplementation of Plants with Immunomodulatory Properties during Pregnancy and Lactation-Maternal and Offspring Health Effects

A pregnant woman’s diet consists of many products, such as fruits, vegetables, cocoa, tea, chocolate, coffee, herbal and fruit teas, and various commercially available dietary supplements, which contain a high number of biological active plant-derived compounds. Generally, these compounds play beneficial roles in women’s health and the development of fetus health. There are, however, some authors who report that consuming excessive amounts of plants that contain high concentrations of polyphenols may negatively affect the development of the fetus and the offspring’s health. Important and problematic issues during pregnancy and lactation are bacterial infections treatment. In the treatment are proposals to use plant immunomodulators, which are generally considered safe for women and their offspring. Additional consumption of biologically active compounds from plants, however, may increase the risk of occurrences to irreversible changes in the offspring’s health. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out safety tests for immunomodulators before introducing them into a maternal diet. Here, we present data from animal experiments for the four most-studied plants immunomodulators genus: Rhodiola, Echinacea, Panax, and Camellia, which were used in maternal nutrition.

Administration of Rhodiola kirilowii Extracts during Mouse Pregnancy and Lactation Stimulates Innate but Not Adaptive Immunity of the Offspring

The use of antibiotics during pregnancy and lactation is associated with an increased risk of developmental disorders. One of the natural medicinal plants—Rhodiola kirilowii, widely used as an immunostimulant in adults—might be a good alternative to antibiotic treatment. The aim of present study was to assess whether daily oral administration of 20 mg/kg of Rhodiola kirilowii aqueous (RKW) or 50% hydroalcoholic (RKW-A) extracts affected hematological and immunological parameters of 6-week-old mouse progeny. There was no significant change in hematological parameters of blood with the exception of hemoglobin, which was significantly higher (about 4%) in RKW group. Offspring of mothers fed Rhodiola kirilowii extracts had increased percentage of granulocytes and decreased percentage of lymphocytes. These changes correlated with decreased percentage of CD3⁺/CD4⁺ T-cells (RKW and RKW-A), decrease of CD8⁺ cells, and increase percentage of NK cells in RKW group. In addition, both types of Rhodiola kirilowii extracts stimulated granulocyte phagocytosis and increased level of respiratory burst. In conclusion, the long-term supplementation of mouse mothers during pregnancy and lactation with RKW or RKW-A extracts affects the immune system of their progeny. These results should be taken into consideration before administration of Rhodiola kirilowii to pregnant and lactating women.

Morphometric abnormalities in the spleen of the progeny of mice fed epigallocatechin during gestation and nursing

It is very difficult to cure pregnant females suffering from infections, because of the risk which might occur during treatment by several, even herbal, medications. Many of these substances, among them extracts from plants, have antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and immunostimulatory properties owing to their polyphenols content, but also may reveal unwanted effects on the fetal development because of their anti-angiogenic properties. The aim of the present study was to elucidate whether daily feeding pregnant and nursing mice 0.2 mg/kg epigallocatechin (EGC), previously recognized as angiogenesis inhibitor, may lead to abnormalities in morphology of spleen and in some parameters of immune function of their adult, 6-week old progeny. Morphometry of EGC offspring spleens revealed lower number of lymphatic nodules and their larger diameter than those found in the control offspring. Cellularity of spleens was lower in EGC offspring than in the controls. Cytometric analysis showed that this decline concerns lymphocytes with CD335 (p<0.001), CD19 (p<0.01) and CD4 (p<0.05) markers. No differences were observed in the humoral response to the immunization with SRBC, and in the proliferative response of splenocytes to mitogens PHA, ConA and LPS.

The effect of feeding mice during gestation and nursing with Rhodiola kirilowii extracts or epigallocatechin on CD4 and CD8 cells number and distribution in the spleen of their progeny

Rhodiola kirilowii, a member of Crassulaceae family, grows wildly in Asiatic mountains and is also cultivated in some European countries. Its underground parts traditionally are used for enhance physical and mental performance of the body.

In our previous papers we reported immuno- and angio-modulatory effects of aqueous and hydro-alcoholic extracts of radix and rhizome of this plant in mice. In the present work we evaluated the effect of Rhodiola kirilowii water- (RKW) or hydro-alcoholic (RKW-A) extracts and epigallocatechin (one of the polyphenols present in these extracts) given to mice, during pregnancy and nursing period, on the number and localization of CD4+ and CD8+ cells in spleens of adult progeny mice. Previously, we observed several abnormalities in functionality of spleen cells collected from these mice. No differences in CD4+ T cells localisation or numbers were found between all tested mice groups. In contrast, CD8+ T cells localisation and staining were altered in progeny of water or alcohol extract-fed mice. CD8+ T cells were found not only in the PALS but also in the B cell follicle and in the red pulp. Furthermore, CD8+ T cells from T cell zones in the progeny of extract-fed mice showed much intensive staining for CD8 antigen and significantly higher numbers per area in comparison to control mice.

Morphometric abnormalities in spleen and kidney of the progeny of mice fed American cranberry extract (Vaccinium macrocarpon) during pregnancy and lactation

Cranberries and cranberry-derived diet supplements are often recommended for the treatment of urinary tract infections, also during pregnancy. These products contain strongly anti-angiogenic chemical compounds which could not be indifferent to the developing fetus. In the present work we evaluated the effect of feeding pregnant and lactating mice American cranberry extract (daily dose 0.88 mg) on the morphology and some parameters of spleen and kidney function of their adult progeny. Six weeks after delivery the morphometry of spleen and kidney, cytometric analysis of spleen lymphocytes, evaluation of humoral response to SRBC (Sheep Red Blood Cells), and examination of serum creatinine/urea concentration, were performed in the offspring. Spleens of progeny from experimental (E) group differed from the spleens of progeny of control mice in the lower number of lymphatic nodules and their larger diameter. Cytometry of spleen cells from progeny of E mothers revealed more CD19+ and CD8+ lymphocytes than in the control group. No difference was seen in the response to immunization by red blood cells of sheep (SRBC) between control and E offspring. An increase in the diameter of glomeruli was observed in the kidneys of the experimental group in comparison with the control group. No abnormalities in creatinine and urea serum level were observed. A higher concentration of VEGF and bFGF in E offspring sera in comparison to the controls was seen.

CONCLUSION

Although the observed differences between the control and experimental group were not large, caution is recommended in using cranberries and their extracts during pregnancy until more research will be done on this topic.