Gan-Lu-Yin Inhibits Proliferation and Migration of Murine WEHI-3 Leukemia Cells and Tumor Growth in BALB/C Allograft Tumor Model

Chinese Herbal Medicine to Reduce Radiation-Induced Oral Mucositis in Head and Neck Cancer Patients: Evidence From Population-Based Health Claims

BACKGROUND

Subjects with head and neck cancer (HNC) often experience post-treatment side effects, particularly radiation-induced oral mucositis (RIOM). This study aimed to explore the association of Chinese herbal medicine use with the sequent risk of RIOM among them.

METHODS

This cohort study used a nationwide health insurance database to identify subjects newly diagnosed with HNC, aged 20 to 60 years, who received treatment between 2000 and 2007. Among them, a total of 561 cases received CHM after HNC onset (CHM users); the remaining 2395 cases were non-CHM users. All patients were followed to the end of 2012 to identify any treatment for RIOM as the end point. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to compute the adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) of RIOM by CHM use.

RESULTS

During the follow-up period, 183 CHM users and 989 non-CHM users developed RIOM at incidence rates of 40.98 and 57.91 per 1000 person-years, respectively. CHM users had a lower RIOM risk than the non-CHM users (aHR: 0.68; 95% Confidence Interval: 0.58-0.80). The most potent effect was observed in those taking CHM for more than 1 year. Use of Baizhi, Danshen, Shao-Yao-Gan-Cao-Tang, Gan-Lu-Yin, Huangqin, Shu-Jing-Huo-Xue-Tang, and Xin-Yi-Qing-Fei-Tang, was significantly related to a lower risk of RIOM.

CONCLUSION

Findings of this study indicated that adding CHM to conventional clinical care could be helpful in protecting those with HNC against the onset of RIOM. Further clinical and mechanistic studies are warranted.

Gan-Lu-Yin (Kanroin), Traditional Chinese Herbal Extracts, Reduces Osteoclast Differentiation In Vitro and Prevents Alveolar Bone Resorption in Rat Experimental Periodontitis

Gan-Lu-Yin (GLY), a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, shows therapeutic effects on periodontitis, but that mechanism is not well known. This study aims to clarify the precise mechanism by investigating the inhibitory effects of GLY extracts on osteoclastogenesis in vitro and on bone resorption in periodontitis in vivo. RAW264.7 cells are cultured with soluble receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B (sRANKL) and GLY extracts (0.01–1.0 mg/mL), and stained for tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) to evaluate osteoclast differentiation. Experimental periodontitis is induced by placing a nylon ligature around the second maxillary molar in rats, and rats are administered GLY extracts (60 mg/kg) daily for 20 days. Their maxillae are collected on day 4 and 20, and the levels of alveolar bone resorption and osteoclast differentiation are estimated using micro-computed tomography (CT) and histological analysis, respectively. In RAW264.7 cells, GLY extracts significantly inhibit sRANKL-induced osteoclast differentiation at a concentration of more than 0.05 mg/mL. In experimental periodontitis, administering GLY extracts significantly decreases the number of TRAP-positive osteoclasts in the alveolar bone on day 4, and significantly inhibits the ligature-induced bone resorption on day 20. These results show that GLY extracts suppress bone resorption by inhibiting osteoclast differentiation in experimental periodontitis, suggesting that GLY extracts are potentially useful for oral care in periodontitis.

Decreased risk of colorectal cancer among patients with type 2 diabetes receiving Chinese herbal medicine: a population-based cohort study

OBJECTIVES

Patients with type 2 diabetes have a higher risk of colorectal cancer (CRC), but whether Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) can reduce this risk is unknown. This study investigated the effect that CHMs have on CRC risk in patients with type 2 diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

This cohort study used the Taiwanese National Health Insurance Research Database to identify 54 744 patients, newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, aged 20-70 years, who were receiving treatment between 1998 and 2007. From this sample, we randomly selected 14 940 CHMs users and 14 940 non-CHMs users, using propensity scores matching. All were followed through 2012 to record CRC incidence. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to compute the hazard ratio (HR) of CRC by CHMs use.

RESULTS

During follow-up, 235 CHMs users and 375 non-CHMs users developed CRC, incidence rates of 1.73% and 2.47% per 1000 person-years, respectively. CHM users had a significantly reduced risk of CRC compared with non-CHM users (adjusted HR=0.71; 95% CI 0.60 to 0.84). The greatest effect was in those receiving CHMs for more than 1 year. Huang-Qin, Xue-Fu-Zhu-Yu-Tang, Shu-Jing-Huo-Xue-Tang, Liu-Wei-Di-Huang-Wan, Ji-Sheng-Shen-Qi-Wan, Gan-Lu-Yin, Shao-Yao-Gan-Cao-Tang and Ban-Xia-Xie-Xin-Tang were significantly associated with lower risk of CRC.

CONCLUSION

Integrating CHMs into the clinical management of patients with type 2 diabetes may be beneficial in reducing the risk of CRC.

Adjunctive Chinese herbal medicine therapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma: Clinical evidence and experimental validation

BACKGROUND

To investigate the benefits of adjunctive Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

METHODS

We included all patients diagnosed with NPC during 1997-2009 and followed until 2011 in Taiwan. We used 1:1 frequency matching by age, sex, comorbidity, conventional treatment, and index year to compare the CHM users and non-CHM users (n = 2542 each). The prescribed CHM was further investigated with regard to its cytotoxicity.

RESULTS

Compared with non-CHM users, adjunctive CHM users had a lower hazard ratio of mortality risk, and a better survival probability. Gan-Lu-Yin (GLY) was the most commonly prescribed CHM, and it reduced cell viability, inhibited tumor proliferation, and induced apoptosis through the poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase and caspase-3-dependent pathway in human NPC TW01 cells. Oral administration of GLY retarded NPC-TW01 tumor growth in the xenograft nude mouse model.

CONCLUSION

Real-world data and laboratory experiments implied that adjunctive CHM might be beneficial for NPC patients.

Suppression of the TNF-alpha level is mediated by Gan-Lu-Yin (traditional Chinese medicine) in human oral cancer cells through the NF-kappa B, AKT, and ERK-dependent pathways

Oral cancer is one of the major causes of deaths in the male population of Taiwan. Gan-Lu-Yin (GLY) is used for an adjuvant treatment of Traditional Chinese Medicine in clinical patients. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanisms in oral cancer cell lines after exposure to GLY. The cytometric bead-based array (CBA) method was used for the examining and analyzing of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) secretion level. TNF-α mRNA expression was determined by real-time PCR analysis. Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) activity and other relative proteins were determined by NF-κB promoter assay, Western blotting, electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA), and immuno-staining analyses. GLY decreased the secretion of TNF-α from the oral cancer CAL 27 cells. Furthermore, 2000 μg/mL of GLY significantly suppressed TNF-α mRNA expression of CAL 27 cells in a time-dependent manner. GLY reduced the levels of proteins, including nuclear NF-κB (p65 and p50), p-IKK (ser176), p-IκB, p-AKT, p-ERK, and nuclear Egr-1 in a time and dose-dependent manner. GLY also suppressed the NF-κB activity and translocation in CAL 27 cells. We suggest that GLY might promote the cure of oral cancer through decreasing the level of TNF-α cytokine, and these actions were mediated partially through the NF-κB, AKT, and ERK-dependent pathways in vitro. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 31: 1196-1205, 2016.