Hydrophobic extracts of a Chinese herb (CMX-13) exhibit potent immunosuppressive properties and prevent acute rejection in a highly histoincompatible model of rat lung transplantation

Nanoscale hepatoprotective herbal decoction attenuates hepatic stellate cell activity and chloroform-induced liver damage in mice

BACKGROUND

San-Huang-Xie-Xin-Tang (SHXXT) decoction, a traditional Chinese medicine containing Rhei rhizome, Coptidis rhizome, and Scutellariae radix, is widely used in hepatoprotective therapy. However, preparation of the decoction requires addition of boiling water that causes loss of numerous effective components.

METHODS

To improve the bioavailability of the decoction, nanoscale SHXXT was developed. Chloroform-induced liver injury and hepatic stellate cell activity in mice were used to demonstrate the hepatoprotective characteristics of nanoscale SHXXT decoction.

RESULTS

Liver/body weight ratio and serum aspartate and alanine aminotranferase levels were recovered by the nanoscale SHXXT. TIMP-1 gene expression was inhibited and MMP-2 gene expression was accelerated in activated hepatic stellate cells.

CONCLUSION

Nanoscale SHXXT decoction prepared in room temperature water could have preserved hepatoprotective ability. The results of this study indicate that nanoscale SHXXT could be extracted easily. The simple preparation of this herbal decoction is more convenient and energy-efficient.

PX3.102, A Novel Chinese Herb Extract, Diminishes Chronic Airway Allograft Rejection

More effective immunosuppressants are needed to improve lung-transplantation survival. PX3.102 is a novel immunosuppressant isolated from a mixture of traditional Chinese herbs. We tested its protective role on chronic lung rejection in the heterotopic tracheal transplant model. C57BL/6 mice received BALB/c tracheal grafts and were treated with PX3.102, cyclosporine A, or vehicle. PX3.102 improved tracheal allograft lumen patency (*P<0.01 vs. vehicle and P=0.14 vs. cyclosporine A) but not epithelialization (P>0.2 vs. vehicle). Subsequent in vitro studies demonstrated that PX3.10 was toxic to fully differentiated human tracheal epithelial cells in a dose-dependent manner. PX3.102 markedly suppressed antigen-specific lymphocyte proliferation in vitro at a concentration 10 times lower than cyclosporine A. In conclusion, PX3.102, a promising and potent immunosuppressant, although exhibiting toxicity to airway epithelial cells at high doses, is effective in inhibiting chronic airway allograft rejection.