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Cai M, Shen H, Xing Y, Wang W, Guan F, Luo Y. Starvation-induced changes in the proteome and transcriptome of the salivary glands of leech (Hirudo nipponia). PLoS One 2024; 19:e0304453. [PMID: 38923974 PMCID: PMC11207150 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0304453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Hirudo nipponia is an important medicinal animal in China. Its salivary gland secretions contain a variety of protein bioactive substances. Investigations of its salivary glands are of great significance in the study of the medicinal value and mechanism of leech secretions. Illumina RNA-Seq technology was used to perform transcriptome sequencing of salivary gland tissue of H. nipponia under starvation (D30) and fed (D0) states. A total of 2,650 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened. Using the label-free protein quantification technique and bioinformatics analysis, the expression of differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in the salivary gland tissue of H. nipponia was compared. A total of 2,021 proteins were identified, among which 181 proteins were differentially expressed between the starvation and fed states, with 72 significantly upregulated and 109 significantly downregulated. The salivary glands of H. nipponia synthesized protein-based active substances after 30 days of starvation and adapted to the starvation environment by weakening respiratory activity and reducing metabolic activity to reduce energy expenditure. Energy was produced by glycolysis and the tricarboxylic acid cycle for the synthesis of substances such as antibiotics. This study combined transcriptome and proteome sequencing data to provide a data reference for an in-depth study of the regulatory mechanism of salivary gland secretions of H. nipponia under starvation stress by analyzing DEGs and DEPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meixiang Cai
- College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Hongying Shen
- School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yueting Xing
- Women’s Hospital School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Weimin Wang
- College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Feng Guan
- College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yuanyuan Luo
- College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
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Wu S, Zhou Y, Wang Y, Zhang Z. Therapeutic Potentials of Medicinal Leech in Chinese Medicine. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CHINESE MEDICINE 2024; 52:1027-1051. [PMID: 38879745 DOI: 10.1142/s0192415x24500423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/06/2024]
Abstract
The use of medicinal leeches in clinical therapy has been employed for a long time, as it was originally recognized for exerting antithrombin effects. These effects were due to the ability of the leech to continuously suck blood while attached to human skin. According to Chinese Pharmacopoei, leeches used in traditional Chinese medicine mainly consist of Whitmania pigra Whitman, Hirudo nipponia Whitman, and Whitmania acranulata, but the latter two species are relatively scarce. The main constituents of leeches are protein and peptide macromolecules. They can be categorized into two categories based on their pharmacological effects. One group consists of active ingredients that directly target the coagulation system, such as hirudin, heparin, and histamine, which are widely known. The other group comprises protease inhibitor components like Decorsin and Hementin. Among these, hirudin secreted by the salivary glands of the leech is the most potent thrombin inhibitor and served as the sole remedy for preventing blood clotting until the discovery of heparin. Additionally, leeches play a significant role in various traditional Chinese medicine formulations. In recent decades, medicinal leeches have been applied in fields including anti-inflammatory treatment, cardiovascular disease management, antitumor treatment, and many other medical conditions. In this review, we present a comprehensive overview of the historical journey and medicinal applications of leeches in various medical conditions, emphasizing their pharmaceutical significance within traditional Chinese medicine. This review offers valuable insights for exploring additional therapeutic opportunities involving the use of leeches in various diseases and elucidating their underlying mechanisms for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaohua Wu
- Department of Parasitology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University Changsha, Hunan 410013, P. R. China
- Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Institute of Integrative Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha 410008, P. R. China
- Laboratory for Interdisciplinary Science of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, P. R. China
| | - Yaya Zhou
- Department of Parasitology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University Changsha, Hunan 410013, P. R. China
- Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Institute of Integrative Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha 410008, P. R. China
- Laboratory for Interdisciplinary Science of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, P. R. China
| | - Yang Wang
- Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Institute of Integrative Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha 410008, P. R. China
- Laboratory for Interdisciplinary Science of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, P. R. China
| | - Zuping Zhang
- Department of Parasitology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University Changsha, Hunan 410013, P. R. China
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Dong W, Li H, Li Y, Wang Y, Dai L, Wang S. Characterization of active peptides derived from three leeches and comparison of their anti-thrombotic mechanisms using the tail vein thrombosis model in mice and metabonomics. Front Pharmacol 2024; 14:1324418. [PMID: 38333223 PMCID: PMC10851270 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1324418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Background and aims: The increasing incidence of cardiovascular diseases has created an urgent need for safe and effective anti-thrombotic agents. Leech, as a traditional Chinese medicine, has the effect of promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, but its real material basis and mechanism of action for the treatment of diseases such as blood stasis and thrombosis have not been reported. Methods: In this study, Whitmania Pigra Whitman (WPW), Hirudo nipponica Whitman (HNW) and Whitmania acranutata Whitman (WAW) were hydrolyzed by biomimetic enzymatic hydrolysis to obtain the active peptides of WPW (APP), the active peptides of HNW (APH) and the active peptides of WAW (APA), respectively. Then their structures were characterized by sykam amino acid analyzer, fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FT-IR), circular dichroism (CD) spectrometer and LC-MS. Next, the anti-thrombotic activities of APP, APH and APA were determined by carrageenan-induced tail vein thrombosis model in mice, and the anti-thrombotic mechanisms of high-dose APP group (HAPP), high-dose APH group (HAPH) and high-dose APA group (HAPA) were explored based on UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap mass spectrometry. Results: The results showed that the amino acid composition of APP, APH and APA was consistent, and the proportion of each amino acid was few different. The results of FT-IR and CD showed that there were no significant differences in the proportion of secondary structures (such as β-sheet and random coil) and infrared absorption peaks between APP, APH and APA. Mass spectrometry data showed that there were 43 common peptides in APP, APH and APA, indicating that the three have common material basis. APP, APH and APA could significantly inhibit platelet aggregation, reduce black-tail length, whole blood viscosity (WBV), plasma viscosity (PV), and Fibrinogen (FIB), and prolong coagulation time, including activated partial thrombin time (APTT), prothrombin time (PT) and thrombin time (TT). In addition, 24 metabolites were identified as potential biomarkers associated with thrombosis development. Among these, 19, 23, and 20 metabolites were significantly normalized after administration of HAPP, HAPH, and HAPA in the mice, respectively. Furthermore, the intervention mechanism of HAPP, HAPH and HAPA on tail vein thrombosis mainly involved in linoleic acid metabolism, primary bile acid biosynthesis and ether lipid metabolism. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that APP, APH and APA can exert their anti-blood stasis and anti-thrombotic activities by interfering with disordered metabolic pathways in vivo, and there is no significant difference in their efficacies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weichao Dong
- School of Pharmacy, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, China
- School of Pharmacy, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Huajian Li
- School of Pharmacy, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, China
- School of Pharmacy, ZheJiang Chinese Medicial University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yanan Li
- School of Pharmacy, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Yuqing Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Long Dai
- School of Pharmacy, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, China
| | - Shaoping Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, China
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Liu Z, Zhao F, Huang Z, Hu Q, Meng R, Lin Y, Qi J, Lin G. Revisiting the Asian Buffalo Leech ( Hirudinaria manillensis) Genome: Focus on Antithrombotic Genes and Their Corresponding Proteins. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:2068. [PMID: 38003011 PMCID: PMC10671345 DOI: 10.3390/genes14112068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Leeches are well-known annelids due to their obligate blood-feeding habits. Some leech species secrete various biologically active substances which have important medical and pharmaceutical value in antithrombotic treatments. In this study, we provided a high-quality genome of the Asian buffalo leech (Hirudinaria manillensis), based on which we performed a systematic identification of potential antithrombotic genes and their corresponding proteins. Combining automatic and manual prediction, we identified 21 antithrombotic gene families including fourteen coagulation inhibitors, three platelet aggregation inhibitors, three fibrinolysis enhancers, and one tissue penetration enhancer. A total of 72 antithrombotic genes, including two pseudogenes, were identified, including most of their corresponding proteins forming three or more disulfide bonds. Three protein families (LDTI, antistasin, and granulin) had internal tandem repeats containing 6, 10, and 12 conserved cysteines, respectively. We also measured the anticoagulant activities of the five identified hirudins (hirudin_Hman1 ~ hirudin_Hman5). The results showed that three (hirudin_Hman1, hirudin_Hman2, and hirudin_Hman5), but not the remaining two, exhibited anticoagulant activities. Our study provides the most comprehensive collection of antithrombotic biomacromolecules from a leech to date. These results will greatly facilitate the research and application of leech derivatives for medical and pharmaceutical purposes in the treatment of thrombotic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zichao Liu
- Engineering Research Center for Exploitation and Utilization of Leech Resources in Universities of Yunnan Province, School of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Kunming University, Kunming 650214, China; (Z.L.); (Q.H.); (R.M.)
| | - Fang Zhao
- School of Life Sciences, Jinggangshan University, Ji’an 343009, China; (F.Z.); (Z.H.); (Y.L.)
| | - Zuhao Huang
- School of Life Sciences, Jinggangshan University, Ji’an 343009, China; (F.Z.); (Z.H.); (Y.L.)
| | - Qingmei Hu
- Engineering Research Center for Exploitation and Utilization of Leech Resources in Universities of Yunnan Province, School of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Kunming University, Kunming 650214, China; (Z.L.); (Q.H.); (R.M.)
| | - Renyuan Meng
- Engineering Research Center for Exploitation and Utilization of Leech Resources in Universities of Yunnan Province, School of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Kunming University, Kunming 650214, China; (Z.L.); (Q.H.); (R.M.)
| | - Yiquan Lin
- School of Life Sciences, Jinggangshan University, Ji’an 343009, China; (F.Z.); (Z.H.); (Y.L.)
| | - Jianxia Qi
- Nujiang Management Bureau of Gaoligongshan National Nature Reserve, Nujiang 673199, China;
| | - Gonghua Lin
- School of Life Sciences, Jinggangshan University, Ji’an 343009, China; (F.Z.); (Z.H.); (Y.L.)
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Cloning and functional identification of pmKPI cDNA in Poecilobdella manillensis. Mol Biol Rep 2023; 50:299-308. [PMID: 36331747 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-022-07944-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Kazal-type serine protease inhibitors play a role in physiological processes such as blood coagulation and fibrinolysis. The amino acid residues at the P1 site are different, and they inhibit different types of proteases. The inhibitory mechanism of the protease in the salivary glands of Poecilobdella manillensis is still unclear. METHODS AND RESULTS Based on cloning, prokaryotic expression and bioinformatics analysis, we studied the role of Kazal-type serine protease inhibitors in P. manillensis and analyzed their expression by quantitative real-time PCR. The results suggested that the recombinant protein was successfully expressed in the supernatant when a prokaryotic expression vector was constructed and induced with 0.2 mmol/L IPTG at 37 °C for 4 h, and the enzymatic activity was determined. The mature protein encodes 91 amino acids and has a relative molecular weight of 9929.32 Da, and after removing the signal peptide, the theoretical isoelectric point was 8.79. It is an unstable protein without a transmembrane domain. The mature protein contains two Kazal-type domains, in which all P1 residues are Lys, consisting of an α helix and three antiparallel β sheets. The upregulated expression of the mRNA was induced after a meal was provided, and the results showed an increasing and then decreasing trend. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, the results indicate that mature proteins from P. manillensis inhibit thrombin activity, laying the foundation for the subsequent in-depth study of the function of genes encoding Kazal-type serine protease inhibitors.
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Sun Y, Wang B, Pei J, Luo Y, Yuan N, Xiao Z, Wu H, Luo C, Wang J, Wei S, Pei Y, Fu S, Wang D. Molecular dynamic and pharmacological studies on protein-engineered hirudin variants of Hirudinaria manillensis and Hirudo medicinalis. Br J Pharmacol 2022; 179:3740-3753. [PMID: 35135035 DOI: 10.1111/bph.15816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Hirudin variants are the most powerful thrombin inhibitors discovered to date, with a lower risk of bleeding than heparin. For anticoagulation, the C-termini of hirudins bind to the exocite I of thrombin. Anticoagulant effects of gene-recombinant hirudin are weaker than natural hirudin for the reason of lacking tyrosine-O-sulfation at C terminus. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH The integrative pharmacological study applied molecular dynamic, molecular biological, and in vivo and in vitro experiments to elucidate the anticoagulant effects of protein-engineered hirudins. KEY RESULTS Molecular dynamic (MD) analysis showed that modifications of the C-termini of hirudin variant 1 of Hirudo medicinalis (HV1) and hirudin variant 2 of Hirudinaria manillensis (HM2) changed the binding energy of the C-termini to human thrombin. The study indicated Asp61 of HM2 that corresponds to sulfated Tyr63 of HV1 is critical for inhibiting thrombin activities, and the anticoagulant effects of HV1 and HM2 were improved when the amino acid residues adjacent to Asp61 were mutated to Asp, such as the prolongation of the activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), prothrombin time (PT) and thrombin time (TT) of human blood, and decreased Ki and IC50 values. In the in vivo experiments, mutations at C-termini of HV1 and HM2 significantly changed APTT, PT and TT. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS The study indicated that the anticoagulant effects of gene-engineered HM2 are stronger than gene-engineered HV1, and HM2-E60D-I62D has the strongest effects and could be an antithrombotic medicine with better therapeutic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Sun
- Laboratory of Biopharmaceutics and Molecular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan, China
| | - Baochun Wang
- The First Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Hainan General Hospital, Haikou, Hainan, China
| | - Jinli Pei
- Laboratory of Biopharmaceutics and Molecular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan, China.,Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Ying Luo
- Laboratory of Biopharmaceutics and Molecular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan, China
| | - Nan Yuan
- Laboratory of Biopharmaceutics and Molecular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan, China
| | - Zhengpan Xiao
- Laboratory of Biopharmaceutics and Molecular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan, China
| | - Hao Wu
- Laboratory of Biopharmaceutics and Molecular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan, China.,Central Laboratory, Ningbo Medical Center Lihuili Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Chenghui Luo
- Laboratory of Biopharmaceutics and Molecular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan, China
| | - Jiaxuan Wang
- Laboratory of Biopharmaceutics and Molecular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan, China
| | - Shuangshuang Wei
- Laboratory of Biopharmaceutics and Molecular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan, China
| | - Yechun Pei
- Laboratory of Biopharmaceutics and Molecular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan, China
| | - Shengmiao Fu
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Hainan General Hospital, Haikou, Hainan, China
| | - Dayong Wang
- Laboratory of Biopharmaceutics and Molecular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan, China.,Key laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of the Ministry of Education of China, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan, China
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Huang Q, Tang J, Chai X, Ren W, Wang J, Gan Q, Shi J, Wang M, Yang S, Liu J, Ma L. Affinity ultrafiltration and UPLC-HR-Orbitrap-MS based screening of thrombin-targeted small molecules with anticoagulation activity from Poecilobdella manillensis. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci 2021; 1178:122822. [PMID: 34147951 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2021.122822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
This study aims to screen potential anticoagulant components from leeches, a representative animal-sourced traditional Chinese medicine using thrombin (THR)-targeted ultrafiltration combined with ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography and high-resolution Orbitrap mass spectrometry (UPLC-HR-Orbitrap-MS). As a result, five small molecules in leech extract were discovered to interact with THR for the first time. Among them, two new compounds were isolated and their structures were identified by IR, HR-MS and NMR data. Furthermore, their THR inhibitory activity was confirmed with IC50 values of 4.74 and 8.31 μM, respectively. In addition, molecular docking analysis showed that the active (catalytic) site of THR might be the possible binding site of the two hits. Finally, reverse screening analysis indicated that LTA4-H, ACE and ALOX5AP were potential anticoagulant targets of the two new compounds. This study will broaden our understanding of the medicinal substance basis in leeches and further contribute to the discovery and development of clinical anticoagulant drugs from leeches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiuyang Huang
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Jianyuan Tang
- Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 610072, China
| | - Xiaoxin Chai
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Wei Ren
- Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China
| | - JiaBo Wang
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Qichao Gan
- Chongqing Duoputai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd, Chongqing 400800, China
| | - Jingyan Shi
- Chongqing Duoputai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd, Chongqing 400800, China
| | - Manyuan Wang
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Sijin Yang
- Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China
| | - Jingfang Liu
- Public Technology Service Center, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Li Ma
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China.
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Shakouri A, Wollina U. Time to Change Theory; Medical Leech from a Molecular Medicine Perspective Leech Salivary Proteins Playing a Potential Role in Medicine. Adv Pharm Bull 2020; 11:261-266. [PMID: 33880347 PMCID: PMC8046405 DOI: 10.34172/apb.2021.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Revised: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Followed by developing modern medicine, leeches did not have extensive use as before; however, in the late 19th century, they were still used in most countries all over the world. Thus far, leeches were utilized in treating various diseases like skin disorders, arthritis, and cancer. In Egypt, using leeches for treatment dates back to early 1500 BC. A medical leech’s salivary glands involve over 100 bioactive proteins and the salivary gland secretion contains bacteriostatic, analgesic, and anticoagulation influences; with resolving activity, it causes microcirculation disorders elimination, restoring the hurt vascular permeability of organs and tissues, removing hypoxia, decreasing blood pressure and detoxifying the organism by antioxidant paths. The current work reviews the innovative treatment with medical leech, especially proteins in leech saliva extraction (LSE) with high potential in medicine. The virtue of salivary gland secretions which are proteinaceous enzymes, leech acts on various diseases such as venous congestion in reconstructive and plastic surgery, osteoarthritis, cardiovascular diseases caused by blood coagulation disorders, pain management, priapism, macroglossia, cancer complications, wounds and many other. To confirm the potential therapeutic impacts of leech treatment, more studies are required in more extensive areas with more exact methodologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Shakouri
- Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Uwe Wollina
- Department of Dermatology and Allergology, Academic Teaching Hospital Dresden-Friedrichstadt, Dresden, Germany
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