scholarly journals A review on importance of bioactive compounds of medicinal plants in treating idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (special emphasis on isoquinoline alkaloids)

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sai Sushma Dudala ◽  
T. C. Venkateswarulu ◽  
Sushma Chandulee Kancharla ◽  
Vidya Prabhakar Kodali ◽  
D. John Babu

Abstract Background Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a fatal lung disease of unknown cause which disrupts the normal lung architecture and functions by deregulating immune responses and ultimately leads to the death of the individual. A number of factors can lead to its development and currently there is no cure for this disease. Main text There are synthetic drugs available to relieve the symptoms and decelerate its development by targeting pathways involved in the development of IPF, but there had also been various side effects detected by their usage. It is known since decades that medicinal plants and their compounds have been used all over the world in natural medicines to cure various diseases. This review article is focused on the effects of various natural bioactive compounds of 26 plant extracts that show prophylactic and therapeutic properties against the disease and so can be used in treating IPF replacing synthetic drugs and reducing the side effects. Short conclusion This review includes different mechanisms that cause pulmonary fibrosis along with compounds that can induce fibrosis, drugs used for the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis, diagnosis, the biochemical tests used for the experimental study to determine the pathogenesis of disease with a special note on Isoquinoline alkaloids and their role in reducing various factors leading to IPF thus providing promising therapeutic approach.

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Franklyn O. Ohiagu ◽  
Paul C. Chikezie ◽  
Chinwendu M. Chikezie ◽  
Christian E. Enyoh

Abstract Background Cancer is currently the leading cause of death globally and the number of deaths from cancer is on the rise daily. Medicinal plants have been in continuous use over the years for the management of cancer, particularly, in most developing countries of the world including Nigeria. The use of synthetic drugs for the treatment of cancer is often accompanied by toxic side effects. Thus, the alternative use of readily available and inexpensive medicinal plants is the panacea to the toxic side effects associated with synthetic drugs. Main body The present review summarized the anticancer activity of 51 medicinal plants that are widespread in all regions of Nigeria. Furthermore, the proposed anticancer pharmacological actions as well as the anticancer bioactive compounds, the type of cancer cell inhibited, the plant parts responsible for the anticancer activity, and the nature of the extracts used for the studies were discussed in this review. The 51 Nigerian medicinal plants were reported to exhibit anticancer activities of the prostate, cervices, lung, skin, colon, esophagus, blood, ovary, central nervous system/brain, breast, stomach, pancreas, larynx, and kidney. The major classes of bioactive compounds indicated to be responsible for the anticancer activity include the polyphenols, flavonoids, alkaloids, saponins, triterpenes, tannins, and quinones. The major anticancer pharmacological actions of these bioactive compounds were antiproliferative, cytotoxic, cytostatic, antimetastatic, apoptotic, and antioxidative as well as provoked cell cycle arrest, inhibition of angiogenesis and reduction of cancer cell viability. Conclusion The Nigerian medicinal plants can be harnessed to provide for readily available and inexpensive anticancer drugs in the future because the plants reported in this review showed promising anticancer activity.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Zhou ◽  
Yang Lin ◽  
Xiuhua Kang ◽  
Zhicheng Liu ◽  
Wei Zhang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Previous reports have identified that human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles (BMSC-EVs) with their cargo microRNAs (miRNAs) are a promising therapeutic approach for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Therefore, we explored whether delivery of microRNA-186 (miR-186), a downregulated miRNA in IPF, by BMSC EVs could interfere with the progression of IPF in a murine model. Methods In a co-culture system, we assessed whether BMSC-EVs modulated the activation of fibroblasts. We established a mouse model of PF to evaluate the in vivo therapeutic effects of BMSC-EVs and determined miR-186 expression in BMSC-EVs by polymerase chain reaction. Using a loss-of-function approach, we examined how miR-186 delivered by BMSC-EVs affected fibroblasts. The putative relationship between miR-186 and SRY-related HMG box transcription factor 4 (SOX4) was tested using luciferase assay. Next, we investigated whether EV-miR-186 affected fibroblast activation and PF by targeting SOX4 and its downstream gene, Dickkopf-1 (DKK1). Results BMSC-EVs suppressed lung fibroblast activation and delayed IPF progression in mice. miR-186 was downregulated in IPF but enriched in the BMSC-EVs. miR-186 delivered by BMSC-EVs could suppress fibroblast activation. Furthermore, miR-186 reduced the expression of SOX4, a target gene of miR-186, and hence suppressed the expression of DKK1. Finally, EV-delivered miR-186 impaired fibroblast activation and alleviated PF via downregulation of SOX4 and DKK1. Conclusion In conclusion, miR-186 delivered by BMSC-EVs suppressed SOX4 and DKK1 expression, thereby blocking fibroblast activation and ameliorating IPF, thus presenting a novel therapeutic target for IPF.


2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (18) ◽  
pp. 2165-2175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Monaghan-Benson ◽  
Erika S. Wittchen ◽  
Claire M. Doerschuk ◽  
Keith Burridge

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is an incurable disease of the lung that is characterized by excessive deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM), resulting in disruption of normal lung function. The signals regulating fibrosis include both transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) and tissue rigidity and a major signaling pathway implicated in fibrosis involves activation of the GTPase RhoA. During studies exploring how elevated RhoA activity is sustained in IPF, we discovered that not only is RhoA activated by profibrotic stimuli but also that the expression of Rnd3, a major antagonist of RhoA activity, and the activity of p190RhoGAP (p190), a Rnd3 effector, are both suppressed in IPF fibroblasts. Restoration of Rnd3 levels in IPF fibroblasts results in an increase in p190 activity, a decrease in RhoA activity and a decrease in the overall fibrotic phenotype. We also find that treatment with IPF drugs nintedanib and pirfenidone decreases the fibrotic phenotype and RhoA activity through up-regulation of Rnd3 expression and p190 activity. These data provide evidence for a pathway in IPF where fibroblasts down-regulate Rnd3 levels and p190 activity to enhance RhoA activity and drive the fibrotic phenotype.


1990 ◽  
Vol 68 (4) ◽  
pp. 1668-1671 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. P. Ambrose ◽  
G. W. Hunninghake

Lipocortin I is a corticosteroid-inducible protein that has potent anti-inflammatory activity. To determine whether lipocortin I is present on the epithelial surface of the human lung, we used a specific polyclonal antibody by the technique of Western blotting to evaluate bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid of normal individuals and patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Lipocortin I was a normal constituent of the epithelial surface of the normal lung and comprised 0.23 +/- 0.03% of BAL fluid proteins. Four separate immunoreactive species were detected, at 37, 36, 34, and 33 kDa, consistent with previously published results. Corticosteroids increased the amounts of lipocortin present in normal volunteers and in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. These results demonstrate that lipocortin I is normally present in the human lung and further suggest that lipocortin I may be an important modulator of the anti-inflammatory effects of corticosteroids in the lung.


Author(s):  
Hirotsugu Ohkubo ◽  
Mitsuaki Yagi ◽  
Yasuhiro Kondoh ◽  
Takeshi Johkoh ◽  
Hiroaki Arakawa ◽  
...  

2008 ◽  
Vol 56 (10) ◽  
pp. 951-959 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirsi Vuorinen ◽  
Steffen Ohlmeier ◽  
Outi Leppäranta ◽  
Kaisa Salmenkivi ◽  
Marjukka Myllärniemi ◽  
...  

Oxidant burden has been suggested to be a contributor to the pathogenesis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The study focused on peroxiredoxin (Prx) II, an antioxidant that has been associated with platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) signaling and consequent cell proliferation. Localization and expression of Prx II, PDGF receptors (PDGFRα, PDGFRβ), Ki67, and nitrotyrosine were assessed in control ( n = 10) and IPF/usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) ( n = 10) lung biopsies by immunohistochemistry and morphometry. Prx II oxidation was determined by standard and non-reducing Western blots, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, and mass spectrometry. Prx II localized in the IPF/UIP epithelium and alveolar macrophages. Prx II–positive area in the fibroblastic foci (FF) was smaller than in other parenchymal areas ( p = 0.03) or in the hyperplastic epithelium ( p = 0.01). There was no major Prx II oxidation in IPF/UIP compared with the normal lung. The FF showed only minor immunoreactivity to the PDGFRs; Ki67, a marker of cell proliferation; and nitrotyrosine, a marker of oxidative/nitrosative stress. The results suggest that Prx II oxidation does not relate to the pathogenesis of IPF/UIP and that Prx II, PDGFRs, and proliferating cells colocalize in the IPF/UIP lung. Unexpectedly, FF represented areas of low cell proliferation.


Author(s):  
Elham Gharirvand Eskandari ◽  
Mahbubeh Setorki ◽  
Monir Doudi

Background: Leishmaniasis is an infectious disease caused by various species of the Leishmania parasites. An effective vaccine or drug to prevent the infestation or a suitable medication to cure the disease without side effects has not been provided yet. Objectives: The use of medicinal herbs in the treatment of many diseases, especially parasitic ones, dates back to prehistoric times. This article is a review study on these herbs used for the treatment of leishmaniasis. Methods: In this regard, we searched PubMed, Science Direct, and Google Scholar databases. We prepared this review on the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis with medicinal plants because of the prevalence of this disease, chemical drugs’ failure to fully control it, increase in the number of reports on drug resistance, and contradictory research on the side effects of synthetic drugs. Results: In general, the use of medicinal herbs for the treatment of various diseases has a long history. Because of Iran’s diverse climate and flora, we have the potential to identify the active herbal ingredients in different indigenous plants of the country and extract them to produce them on an industrial scale. Conclusion: In this article, several herbs used to treat cutaneous leishmaniasis from the past to today in Iran and other countries are studied and evaluated.


2019 ◽  
Vol 316 (3) ◽  
pp. L487-L497 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Zhang ◽  
Dan Wang ◽  
Lei Wang ◽  
Shaohua Wang ◽  
Anja C. Roden ◽  
...  

Interleukin (IL)-17 is a T helper 17 cytokine implicated in the pathogenesis of many autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Although IL-17A has a well-established role in murine pulmonary fibrosis models, its role in the tissue remodeling and fibrosis occurring in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and RA-associated interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD) is not very well defined. To address this question, we utilized complimentary studies to determine responsiveness of human normal and pathogenic lung fibroblasts to IL-17A and used lung biopsies acquired from patients with IPF and RA-ILD to determine IL-17A receptor (IL-17RA) expression. Both normal and pathogenic IPF lung fibroblasts express functional IL-17RA and respond to IL-17A stimulation with cell proliferation, generation of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, and induction of myofibroblast transdifferentiation. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) silencing of IL-17RA attenuated this fibroblast response to IL-17A on ECM production. These fibroblast responses to IL-17A are dependent on NF-κB-mediated signaling. In addition, inhibiting Janus activated kinase (JAK) 2 by either siRNA or a selective pharmacological inhibitor, AZD1480—but not a JAK1/JAK3 selective inhibitor, tofacitinib—also significantly reduced this IL-17A-induced fibrogenic response. Lung biopsies of RA-ILD patients demonstrate significantly higher IL-17RA expression in areas of fibroblast accumulation and fibrosis, compared with either IPF or normal lung tissue. These observations support a direct role for IL-17A in lung fibrosis that may be particularly relevant in the context of RA-ILD.


2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 302-309 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marzieh Ebrahimie ◽  
Mahmoud Bahmani ◽  
Hedayatollah Shirzad ◽  
Mahmoud Rafieian-Kopaei ◽  
Kourosh Saki

Addiction is a chronic and recurring disease that recurrence phenomenon is the most important challenge in treatment of this disease. Recent experiences have shown that synthetic drugs have undesirable side effects. Recent studies on medicinal plants have shown that they might be effective in treatment of different stages of addiction with lower side effects and costs. The aim of this study was to review the effects of medicinal plants in the treatment of morphine addiction in experimental animals. In this review article, by using keywords of morphine, withdrawal, and plants or herbal medicine in databases of indexing cites, desired articles were obtained since 1994. Inclusion criteria for selecting articles were the articles related to application of medicinal plants in decreasing symptoms resulting from morphine withdrawal were selected. Results of this study on experimental studies have shown that medicinal plants such as Trachyspermum copticum L and Melissa officinalis decrease the symptoms of withdrawal syndrome in a dose-dependent. Also, medicinal plants like Avena sativa, Hypericum perforatu, Passiflora incarnate, Valeriana officinalis, Satureja hortensis L, and Mentha piperita can have effects on behavior, emotions, and other problems of addicts, decreasing withdrawal symptoms. Results of this study showed that medicinal plants can be effective in controlling deprivation, decreasing dependency creation, and possibly detoxification of opioid addicts.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document