Secoisolariciresinol diglycoside, a flaxseed lignan, exerts analgesic effects in a mouse model of type 1 diabetes: Engagement of antioxidant mechanism.

Peripheral painful neuropathy is one of the most common complications in diabetes and necessitates improved treatment. Secoisolariciresinol diglycoside (SDG), a predominant lignan in flaxseed, has been shown in our previous studies to exert antidepressant-like effect. As antidepressant drugs are clinically used to treat chronic neuropathic pain, this work aimed to investigate the potential analgesic efficacy of SDG against diabetic neuropathic pain in a mouse model of type 1 diabetes. We subjected mice to diabetes by a single intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of streptozotocin (STZ, 200 mg/kg), and Hargreaves test or von Frey test was used to assess thermal hyperalgesia or mechanical allodynia, respectively. Chronic instead of acute SDG treatment (3, 10 or 30 mg/kg, p.o., twice per day for three weeks) ameliorated thermal hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia in diabetic mice, and these analgesic actions persisted about three days when SDG treatment was terminated. Although chronic treatment of SDG to diabetic mice did not impact on the symptom of hyperglycemia, it greatly attenuated excessive oxidative stress in sciatic nerve and spinal cord tissues, and partially counteracted the condition of weight decrease. Furthermore, the analgesic actions of SDG were abolished by co-treatment with the reactive oxygen species donor tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BOOH), but potentiated by the reactive oxygen species scavenger phenyl-N-tert-butylnitrone (PBN). These findings indicate that chronic SDG treatment can correct neuropathic hyperalgesia and allodynia in mice with type 1 diabetes. Mechanistically, the analgesic actions of SDG in diabetic mice may be associated with its antioxidant activity.

The effects of Boehmeria nivea (L.) Gaud. on embryonic development: in vivo and in vitro studies.

AIM OF THE STUDY: Boehmeria nivea (L.) Gaud. was commonly used to treat miscarriages clinically. The aim of this study was to examine its safety for embryonic development. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Pregnant mice were randomly assigned into 5 groups, i.e. mice were oral-treated with distilled water (G1), with Boehmeria nivea extract of 2, 8 or 32 g/kg/day (G2, G3 or G4), and with 3 doses of vitamin A of 200,000 IU/kg as positive controls (G5). Meanwhile, IC(50) values for both embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and 3T3 cells were detected by cytotoxicity assays. RESULTS: (1) The resorptions and malformed fetuses in G5 were significantly higher than G1 (P<0.001), whereas the maternal body-weight and uterus-weight were lower than G1 (P<0.05); (2) there was no difference in the fetal body-weight, maternal relative body-weight gain, liver-, kidney- or heart-weight, relative organ-weight, and histological examination among five groups; (3) there was no difference in IC(50) values between ESCs and 3T3 cells, but high concentration of Boehmeria nivea extract might significantly lower ESCs' viability (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Boehmeria nivea extract at 32 g/kg/day did not cause significant embryotoxicity or maternal toxicity in mice, although it might cause cytotoxicity in cultured ESCs at a high dose.

Adjuvant phytotherapy in the treatment of cervical cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Clinical trials have investigated phytotherapy (PT) in the treatment of cervical cancer. This study aimed to assess the quality and data of current available trials, to compare the efficacy and safety of conventional therapies (CT) including surgical therapy, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy with that of CT plus PT (CT-PT), and to identify herbs used commonly in clinical trials. METHODS: Forty-three (43) electronic databases were searched. The quality of eligible trials was assessed by Jadad's scale, and Revman 5.0 software was used for data syntheses and analyses. RESULT: (1) Of the 48 potential trials retrieved, 18 trials involving 1657 patients met the inclusion criteria, and two trials were graded as high-quality trials; (2) CT-PT achieved a higher 1-year survival rate (SR, p = 0.0002) and tumor remission rate (TRR, p < 0.0001) than CT alone; (3) PT showed therapeutic effects comparable to those of Western medications in diminishing vesical complications (VC, p < 0.0001) and rectal complications (RC, p = 0.08) caused by CT; (4) top 15 herbs used frequently to improve SR or TRR and to treat VC or RC in the retrieved trials were identified. CONCLUSIONS: Adjuvant PT may improve the efficacy and safety of CT in clinical treatments of cervical cancer, although this result needs to be further verified by more high-quality trials.

[Study on the optimal extracion craft of Xiaochuang gel by central composite design-response surface methodology].

OBJECTIVE: To optimize the extraction craft of Xiaochuang gel by central composite design-response surface methodology. METHODS: The main influential factors of extraction effect included the quantity of ethanol, the concentration of ethanol and the extraction time. The conditions of the extraction were evaluated by the yield of the extracts and the total content of rheum emodin and chrysophanol. The optimal extraction craft of Xiaochuang gel was chosen by central composite design-response surface methodology. RESULTS: The optimal conditions were extracting two times, two hours each time with ten volume multiples of 60% ethanol. CONCLUSIONS: It is simple, convenient and highly predictive to optimize the extraction craft of Xiaochuang gel by central composite design-response surface methodology.