Celastrus treatment modulates antigen-induced gene expression in lymphoid cells of arthritic rats

Traditional uses, secondary metabolites, and pharmacology of Celastrus species - a review

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Plants of genus Celastrus (Celastraceae) have been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Indian medicine to treat cognitive dysfunction, epilepsy, insomnia, rheumatism, gout, and dyspepsia for thousands of years.

AIM OF STUDY

We critically summarized the current evidence on the botanic characterization and distribution, ethnopharmacology, secondary metabolites, pharmacological activities, qualitative and quantitative analysis, and toxicology of Celastrus species to provide perspectives for developing more attractive pharmaceuticals of plant origin.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The relevant information on Celastrus species was gathered from worldwide accepted scientific databases via electronic search (Web of Science, SciFinder, PubMed, Elsevier, SpringerLink, Wiley Online, China Knowledge Resource Integrated, and Google Scholar). Information was also obtained from the literature and books as well as PhD and MSc dissertations. Plant names were validated by "The Plant List" (www.theplantlist.org).

RESULTS

Comprehensive analysis of the above mentioned databases and other sources confirmed that ethnomedical uses of plants of Celastrus genus had been recorded in China, India, and other countries in Southern Asia. The phytochemical investigation revealed the presence of β-dihydroagarofuranoids, diterpenoids, triterpenoids, tetraterpenes, phenylpropanoids, alkaloids, flavonoids, lignans, and others. The crude extracts and isolated constituents have exhibited a wide range of in vitro and in vivo pharmacological effects, including antitumor, cytotoxic, insecticidal, antimicrobial, anti-rheumatoid arthritis (RA), anti-inflammatory, anti-ageing and antioxidative, and neuroprotective activities.

CONCLUSION

Plants of genus Celastrus have been confirmed to show a strong potential for therapeutic and health-maintaining effects, in light of their long traditional use and the phytochemical and pharmacological studies summarized here. Currently, pharmacological studies of this genus mainly focus on Celastrus paniculatus Willd. and Celastrus orbiculatus Thunb. Therefore, more pharmacological investigations should be implemented to support traditional uses of other medicinal plants of the genus Celastrus. Moreover, studies on the toxicity, bioavailability, and pharmacokinetics, in addition to clinical trials, are indispensable for assessing the safety and efficacy of the secondary metabolites or extracts obtained from plants belonging to this genus.

Microarray analysis reveals the molecular basis of antiarthritic activity of huo-luo-xiao-ling dan

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease of autoimmune origin. Huo-luo-xiao-ling dan (HLXL) is an herbal mixture that has been used in traditional Chinese medicine over several decades to treat chronic inflammatory diseases including RA. However, the mechanism of the anti-arthritic action of this herbal remedy is poorly understood at the molecular level. In this study, we determined by microarray analysis the effects of HLXL on the global gene expression profile of the draining lymph node cells (LNC) in the rat adjuvant arthritis (AA) model of human RA. In LNC restimulated in vitro with the disease-related antigen mycobacterial heat-shock protein 65 (Bhsp65), 84 differentially expressed genes (DEG) (64 upregulated and 20 downregulated) versus 120 DEG (94 upregulated and 26 downregulated) were identified in HLXL-treated versus vehicle (Water)-treated rats, respectively, and 62 DEG (45 upregulated and 17 downregulated) were shared between the two groups. The most affected pathways in response to HLXL treatment included immune response, inflammation, cellular proliferation and apoptosis, and metabolic processes, many of which are directly relevant to arthritis pathogenesis. These results would advance our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the anti-arthritic activity of HLXL.

Mediators of inflammation-induced bone damage in arthritis and their control by herbal products

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by chronic inflammation of the synovial joints leading to bone and cartilage damage. Untreated inflammatory arthritis can result in severe deformities and disability. The use of anti-inflammatory agents and biologics has been the mainstay of treatment of RA. However, the prolonged use of such agents may lead to severe adverse reactions. In addition, many of these drugs are quite expensive. These limitations have necessitated the search for newer therapeutic agents for RA. Natural plant products offer a promising resource for potential antiarthritic agents. We describe here the cellular and soluble mediators of inflammation-induced bone damage (osteoimmunology) in arthritis. We also elaborate upon various herbal products that possess antiarthritic activity, particularly mentioning the specific target molecules. As the use of natural product supplements by RA patients is increasing, this paper presents timely and useful information about the mechanism of action of promising herbal products that can inhibit the progression of inflammation and bone damage in the course of arthritis.