BuShenYiQi granule inhibits atopic dermatitis via improving central and skin Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal axis function

Traditional Chinese Medicine syndrome analysis on oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy and clinical efficacy of Bushen Yiqi formula: a prospective randomized controlled study

OBJECTIVES

To analyze the distribution characteristics of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndromes in patients with oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy (OIPN) and observe the clinical efficacy of Bushen Yiqi formula (, BSYQF) in treating patients with OIPN.

METHODS

A total of 89 patients with OIPN were enrolled in this study. The TCM syndrome characteristics were investigated by frequency analysis methodology after collecting and analyzing the TCM syndrome elements of the patients with the OIPN TCM syndrome element scale. Further, 62 cases of cold-dampness obstruction syndrome and kidney-Qi deficiency and cold syndrome were selected and randomly divided into the control group (n = 31) and the treatment group (n = 31). The patients in the treatment group were treated with modified BSYQF, while those in the control group were treated with mecobalamin tablets for 3 weeks. The Levi sensory neurotoxicity score and the neuro-electrophysiological changes were observed before and after the treatment in both groups.

RESULTS

The distribution of TCM syndrome types in 89 patients with OIPN were in order of kidney-Qi deficiency and cold syndrome (44 cases), cold-dampness obstruction syndrome (18 cases), Yin deficiency of liver and kidney syndrome (11 cases), blood stasis obstruction syndrome (7 cases), and dampness-heat obstruction syndrome (5 cases). Improvement in Levi sensory neurotoxicity score: After 3-week treatment, the total effective rate in the treatment group was higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05). The subgroup analysis showed that the total effective rate in the treatment group of patients with kidney-Qi deficiency and cold syndrome was higher than that in the control group before and after treatment (P < 0.05). Improvement in nerve conduction velocity: The sensory nerve conduction velocity of bilateral ulnar nerves improved in the control group after treatment compared with that before treatment (P < 0.05). The sensory and motor nerve conduction velocities of the bilateral ulnar and bilateral peroneal nerves improved in the treatment group compared with those before treatment and after treatment in the control group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The modified BSYQF had a definite therapeutic effect on the OIPN in patients with kidney-Qi deficiency and cold syndrome and those with cold-dampness obstruction syndrome. It could effectively reduce the grade of peripheral nerve toxicity and improve nerve conduction velocity, and its curative effect was better than that of mecobalamin tablets.

Management of Atopic Dermatitis Via Oral and Topical Administration of Herbs in Murine Model: A Systematic Review

Over the past few decades, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) using herbs, or their active constituents have garnered substantial attention in the management of a chronic and relapsing inflammatory skin disorder called atopic dermatitis (AD), particularly in attenuating disease recurrence and maintaining long-term remission. In Eastern Asian countries including China, Korea and Taiwan, herbal medicine available in both topical and oral preparation plays a significant role in treating skin diseases like AD as they possibly confer high anti-inflammatory properties and immunomodulatory functions. Conventional murine models of AD have been employed in drug discovery to provide scientific evidence for conclusive and specific pharmacological effects elicited by the use of traditional herbs and their active constituents. Coupled with the goal to develop safe and effective novel therapeutic agents for AD, this systematic review consists of a summary of 103 articles on both orally and topically administered herbs and their active constituents in the murine model, whereby articles were screened and selected via a specialized framework known as PICO (Population, Intervention, Comparator and Outcome). The objectives of this review paper were to identify the efficacy of oral and topical administered herbs along with their active constituents in alleviating AD and the underlying mechanism of actions, as well as the animal models and choice of inducer agents used in these studies. The main outcome on the efficacy of the majority of the herbs and their active constituents illustrated suppression of Th2 response as well as improvements in the severity of AD lesions, suppression of Immunoglobulin E (IgE) concentration and mast cell infiltration. The majority of these studies used BALB/c mice followed by NC/Nga mice (commonly used gender–male; commonly used age group – 6–8 weeks). The most used agent in inducing AD was 2, 4-Dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB), and the average induction period for both oral and topical administered herbs and their active constituents in AD experiments lasted between 3 and 4 weeks. In light of these findings, this review paper could potentially assist researchers in exploring the potential candidate herbs and their active constituents using murine model for the amelioration of AD.

Modified BuShenYiQi formula alleviates experimental allergic asthma in mice by negative regulation of type 2 innate lymphoid cells and CD4+ type 9 helper T cells and the VIP-VPAC2 signalling pathway

CONTEXT

Modified BuShenYiQi formula (M-BYF) is derived from BuShenYiQi formula, used for the treatment of allergic asthma. The exact effect and mechanism of M-BYF on the improvement of asthma remain unclear.

OBJECTIVE

We investigated the mechanism underlying the therapeutic effect of M-BYF on allergic asthma.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The asthma model was established in female BALB/c mice that were sensitized and challenged with ovalbumin (OVA). Mice in the treated groups were orally treated once a day with M-BYF (7, 14 and 28 g/kg/d) or dexamethasone before OVA challenge. Control and Model group received saline. Pathophysiological abnormalities and percentages of lung type 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) and Th9 cells were measured. Expression levels of type 2 cytokines and transcription factors required for these cells function and differentiation were analysed. Expression of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP)-VPAC2 signalling pathway-related proteins, and percentages of VIP expressing (VIP⁺) cells and VPAC2, CD90 co-expressing (VPAC2⁺CD90⁺) cells were detected.

RESULTS

M-BYF alleviated airway hyperresponsiveness, inflammation, mucus hypersecretion and collagen deposition in asthmatic mice. M-BYF down-regulated percentages of ILC2s and Th9 cells with lower expression of GATA3, PU.1 and IRF4, reduced IL-5, IL-13, IL-9 and VIP production. The decrease in the expression of VIP-VPAC2 signalling pathway and percentages of VIP⁺ cells, VPAC2⁺CD90⁺ cells were observed after M-BYF treatment. The LD₅₀ value of M-BYF was higher than 90 g/kg.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

M-BYF alleviated experimental asthma by negatively regulating ILC2s and Th9 cells and the VIP-VPAC2 signalling pathway. These findings provide the theoretical basis for future research of M-BYF in asthma patient population.

A preliminary strategy for screening the combination of active components based on Bu–Shen–Yi–Qi Decoction for bronchial asthma

Objective: The anti-asthma herbal medicine Bu–Shen–Yi–Qi Decoction (BSYQ Decoction), a combination of three traditional Chinese medicine herbs developed in our lab, has shown demonstrated efficacy in Ovalbumin (OVA)-induced acute bronchial asthma. However, the obscure substances, multiple potential targets and the unclear molecular mechanisms are obstacles to control drug quality, stability and standardization. Multi-component formulae with a clear pharmacodynamic material and specific mechanism are an innovation worth exploring. They may also partly reserve a potential synergistic and additive effect compared with single components extracted from traditional Chinese herbs. This study was designed to select three standard multi-component formulae of the combination of effective components preliminarily based on four effective components [total flavonoids of Herba Epimedii ([Formula: see text]; Astragalus polysaccharide ([Formula: see text]; Astragaloside ([Formula: see text]; and Catalpol ([Formula: see text]] in BSYQ Decoction.

Methods: OVA-induced asthmatic murine models were established. A uniform design was applied to select 10 proportions from four target components, and 3 formulae which showed best effect aimed at IFN-[Formula: see text], IL-4 and IgE in the serum respectively were screened based on stepwise regression analysis.

Results: According to the regression analysis, Formula I ([Formula: see text]:[Formula: see text]:[Formula: see text]:6:29), Formula II ([Formula: see text]:[Formula: see text]:[Formula: see text]:8:2) and Formula III ([Formula: see text]:[Formula: see text]:[Formula: see text]:[Formula: see text]:50:8:2) are the three potential proper ratios for the new multi-component formula aimed at serum IFN-[Formula: see text], IL-4 and IgE in OVA-induced asthma mice, respectively.

Conclusion: Three multi-component formulae derived from BSYQ Decoction could exert anti-inflammatory effect against OVA-induced asthma, which might provide evidences and lay foundations for further study of standard modern Chinese drug for treating asthma based on BSYQ Decoction.

Altered Neuroendocrine Immune Responses, a Two-Sword Weapon against Traumatic Inflammation

During the occurrence and development of injury (trauma, hemorrhagic shock, ischemia and hypoxia), the neuroendocrine and immune system act as a prominent navigation leader and possess an inter-system crosstalk between the reciprocal information dissemination. The fundamental reason that neuroendocrinology and immunology could mix each other and permeate toward the field of traumatology is owing to their same biological languages or chemical information molecules (hormones, neurotransmitters, neuropeptides, cytokines and their corresponding receptors) shared by the neuroendocrine and immune systems. The immune system is not only modulated by the neuroendocrine system, but also can modulate the biological functions of the neuroendocrine system. The interactive linkage of these three systems precipitates the complicated space-time patterns for the courses of traumatic inflammation. Recently, compelling evidence indicates that the network linkage pattern that initiating agents of neuroendocrine responses, regulatory elements of immune cells and effecter targets for immune regulatory molecules arouse the resistance mechanism disorders, which supplies the beneficial enlightenment for the diagnosis and therapy of traumatic complications from the view of translational medicine. Here we review the alternative protective and detrimental roles as well as possible mechanisms of the neuroendocrine immune responses in traumatic inflammation.

Multitarget botanical pharmacotherapy in major depression: a toxic brain hypothesis

A significant number of patients with major depression do not respond optimally to current antidepressant drugs. As depression is likely to be a heterogeneous disorder, it is possible that existing neurotransmitter-based antidepressant drugs do not fully address other pathologies that may exist in certain cases. Biological pathologies related to depression that have been proposed and studied extensively include inflammation and immunology, hypercortisolemia, oxidative stress, and impaired angiogenesis. Such pathologies may induce neurodegeneration, which in turn causes cognitive impairment, a symptom increasingly being recognized in depression. A neurotoxic brain hypothesis unifying all these factors may explain the heterogeneity of depression as well as cognitive decline and antidepressant drug resistance in some patients. Compared with neurotransmitter-based antidepressant drugs, many botanical compounds in traditional medicine used for the treatment of depression and its related symptoms have been discovered to be anti-inflammatory, immunoregulatory, anti-infection, antioxidative, and proangiogenic. Some botanical compounds also exert actions on neurotransmission. This multitarget nature of botanical medicine may act through the amelioration of the neurotoxic brain environment in some patients resistant to neurotransmitter-based antidepressant drugs. A multitarget multidimensional approach may be a reasonable solution for patients resistant to neurotransmitter-based antidepressant drugs.

The Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Invigorating Kidney and Supplementing Qi Chinese Herbal Formulae in Asthma Patients

BACKGROUND

The theories of Shen-reinforcement and Qi-supplementation are important in asthma treatment based on traditional Chinese medicine theories. Early studies suggested that Invigorating Kidney and Supplementing Qi herbal formulae, Bu Shen Fang Chuan (BSFC) and Bu Shen Yi Qi (BSYQ), conveyed promising results in asthma treatment. However, the efficacy and safety of the formulae need to be further investigated by a randomized double-blind clinical trial.

METHODS

328 eligible patients were randomly sent to BSFC, BSYQ, and placebo group. The two formulae were received as add-on therapy. The primary endpoints were rate of asthma exacerbation and Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) score. The secondary endpoints included HPA axis function and inflammatory cytokine production profile. All indexes were measured before and after treatment.

RESULTS

The primary endpoints were not improved in both groups; however, the depression levels of subgroup patients with HAM-D score > 5 were improved in BSFC group. HPA axis functions and inflammatory cytokines level were also improved by two formulae. The incidences of adverse events were similar among groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The two formulae had multiple advantage effects on neuroendocrine-immune system. They are worth used as a replacement therapy in asthma.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

This trial is registered with clinical trial number ChiCTR-PRC-09000529.