Production of cytokines and stimulation of resistance to viral infection in human leukocytes by Scutellaria baicalensis flavones.

Extracts of Scutellaria baicalensis display a wide spectrum of antiviral activity. It was of great interest to check the effect of baicalein and wogonin preparations on two important mechanisms of innate immunity: the secretion of cytokines and the natural resistance of human leukocytes to viral infection. To study the effect of S. baicalensis extracts on interferons (IFNs), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), and interleukin (IL) production and virus replication, uninfected and vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV)-infected human peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs) were used. Four pulverized preparations obtained from roots of Scutellaria and a Sigma-Aldrich preparation of purified baicalein were used in the study. RPMI extracts containing different amounts of baicalein and wogonin were used to study the effect on VSV replication in PBLs. PBLs express ex vivo individually differentiated cytokine-dependent resistance/innate immunity to viral infections. The degree of resistance was estimated on the basis of VSV replication in PBLs. The results obtained indicate that baicalein- and wogonin-containing extracts modulate cytokine production, that is inhibit IFN-alpha and IFN-gamma and stimulate TNF-alpha and IL (IL-12, IL-10) production. They also augment the resistance of PBLs to VSV. Extract from S. baicalensis containing baicalein and wogonin regulates the innate antiviral immunity by modulation of cytokine production and stimulation of human leukocyte resistance.

Synthesis, physicochemical and pharmacokinetic characterization of calcium uronates.

Four calcium compounds containing uronic acids (D(+)-galacturonic and D(+)-glucuronic) in L:M ratio = 2 and 3 were isolated by applying novel (except for one complex) synthetic procedures. The compounds were characterized by elemental analysis, spectroscopic methods (diffuse reflectance and absorption UV-visible, IR, FIR), mass spectrometry, fast atom bombardment (FAB), thermal decomposition, thermogravimetry/derivative thermogravimetry (TG/DTG) data and differential scanning calorimetric studies (DSC). Two modes of water binding in the complexes, i.e., hydration and coordination-like, were established. Computer-aided analysis has shown that further investigations are needed in order to determine the applicability of calcium uronates as calcium carriers.

In vitro antileukemic, antioxidant and prooxidant activities of Antoksyd S (C/E/XXI): a comparison with baicalin and baicalein.

There is increasing interest concerning the use of natural antioxidants as low toxic antileukemic compounds. Antoksyd S (C/E/XXI), is a novel herbal drug derived in Poland from the powdered roots of Scutellaria baicalensis, and the biological activities of its major components (baicalin and baicalein) were compared on the human leukemia cell line HL-60. On MTT assay, Antoksyd S (C/E/XXI) showed an obvious cytotoxic effect on HL-60 cells, which was compared with those caused by cisplatin and doxorubicin under the same experimental conditions. A comparative assay of the antioxidative and prooxidative capacity of Antoksyd S (C/E/XXI) was also undertaken using two different reactive species: superoxide (O2-) and a transition metal (Cu2+). Antoksyd S (C/E/XXI) has low toxicity, acting as a modifier of HL-60 cells proliferation and as an antioxidant, which could act prooxidatively in the presence of transition metal ions. Taken together, it seems reasonable to suggest that Antoksyd S (C/E/XXI) as compared to baicalin and baicalein, or to the cytostatics cisplatin and doxorubicin, might be an especially good candidate for the future development of new therapeutic techniques, alone or in "combination treatment regimens", to enhance leukemia cell killing.