A review for discovering hepatoprotective herbal drugs with least side effects on kidney

The liver is a vital organ which plays a major role in the metabolism and excretion of xenobiotics from the body, and liver disease is a worldwide health problem. The currently available synthetic drugs to treat liver disorders cause further damage to the liver and kidney so it is imperative to find new drugs with least side effects. There are a number of treatment combinations which are derived from medicinal plants and commonly administered as tonic for the liver. In this review, we have introduced most important medicinal plants that are used in liver disorders and have least side effects on kidney. In this regards, we have focused on their active constituents, effects and trial studies, mechanisms of action, pharmacokinetic characteristics, dosages, and toxicity. Amaranthus spinosus L., Glycyrrhiza glabra, Cichorium inthybus L., Phyllanthus species (amarus, niruri, emblica), Picrorhiza kurroa, and Silybum marianum have been extensively administered for the treatment of liver disorders. The introduced medicinal plants can be used for production of new drugs via antioxidant-related properties, hepatoprotective activities and least side effects on kidney for the prevention and treatment of liver disorders

A review of medicinal plants for the treatment of earache and tinnitus in Iran

Background and purpose: Despite numerous trials, there has not yet been any definite strategy to reduce replicable long-term tinnitus and earache. Complementary and alternative medical approaches have been used to decrease the symptoms of tinnitus and earache. This study was conducted to report medicinal plants that are used to treat ear disorders, especially earache and tinnitus in different regions of Iran. Evidence Acquisitions: Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), Google Scholar, PubMed, LISTA (EBSCO), Embase, and Web of Science were searched using relevant search terms to retrieve eligible publications. Results: Twenty-three species from sixteen families were used for the treatment of earache and tinnitus in Iran. Plants from families Asteraceae and Lamiaceae were the most commonly used plants for the treatment of earache. Ginkgo biloba was frequently reported for the treatment of tinnitus. Conclusion: This study shows the important role of medicinal plants in the treatment of earache and tinnitus in some regions of Iran. The medicinal plants reported in this review can be considered in treatments for earache and tinnitus if examined more extensively in clinical trials

Effect and Mechanisms of Medicinal Plants on Dry Eye Disease: A Systematic Review

Introduction: Dry Eye Disease (DED) is one of the most common problems and reasons for referring to ophthalmology clinics, which has been exacerbated by the increased use of computers and mobile phones. Aim: The purpose of the present systemic review was to review the effects and mechanism of medicinal plants in DED treatment. Materials and Methods: The key words "Dry eye" or "Keratoconjunctivitis sicca" or "keratitis sicca" in combination with "medicinal plant", "herb", and "phyto" were used to conduct the review. Clinical and experimental published articles in English language between 2000-2018 were retrieved from databases including the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI), PubMed and Scopus. Results: Totally, 199 articles were retrieved from the electronic database and finally 17 articles were included in the final analysis. Various plants such as Buddleja officinalis, Aristotelia chilensis, Prunus armeniaca, Hippophae rhamnoides, Lycium barbarum, and Rhynchosia volubilis Lour are effective in treating DED through different mechanisms. Herbal derivatives such as curcumin, antioxidant glasses, phytoestrogen, ferulic acid, and kaempferol can be used as food supplement independently and in some cases along with chemical drugs. Chinese herbal formulations and compounds such as 'Chi-Ju-Di-Huang-Wan', 'TriphalaGhritaNetratarpan', and 'ShengJinRunZaoYangXue' granules can play a role in inducing anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in the treatment of the disease. Conclusion: Generally, medicinal plants reduce tear film stability by decreasing osmolarity and increasing tear production. Several mechanisms, including the reduction of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) (antioxidant activity), the prevention of cell apoptosis, the modulation of inflammatory factors, and the regulation of androgens, can affect lacrimal glands and membrane cells, thereby helping to treat DED

Traditional uses of medicinal plants to prevent and treat diabetes; an updated review of ethnobotanical studies in Iran

Background: Obesity and physical inactivity are currently on the rise due to industrialization of the communities, which has recently led to increased incidence of different diseases such as diabetes. Epidemiological studies and figures have demonstrated the growing incidence of diabetes. Relevantly, the side effects of chemical drugs have led patients to use medicinal plants and traditional approaches despite advances in development of chemical drugs. The aim of this review article is to report the medicinal plants and their traditional uses to prevent and treat diabetes according to the findings of ethnobotanical studies conducted in different regions of Iran. Evidence Acquisitions: The search terms including ethnobotany, ethnomedicine, ethnopharmacology, phytopharmacology, phytomedicine, Iran, and traditional medicine in combination with diabetes, blood sugar and hyperglycemic were searched from scientific databases. Results: The results of this article can be a comprehensive guideline, based on ethnobotany of different regions of Iran, to prevent and treat diabetes. According to this review article, certain plant species such as Urtica dioica L., popularly called nettle, in eight regions, Teucrium polium L., popularly called poleigamander, in five regions, and Trigonella foenum-graecum L., Citrullus colocynthis (L.), Schrad., and Juglans regia L. in four regions, were reported to be frequently used to prevent and treat diabetes Conclusions: The introduced medicinal plants in this review can be investigated in further research and produce new drugs with limited side effects

Co-transfer of tumor-specific effector and memory CD8+ T cells enhances the efficacy of adoptive melanoma immunotherapy in a mouse model

Abstract Background Adoptive cell transfer (ACT) is a promising cancer immunotherapeutic strategy that remains ineffective for a large subset of patients. ACT with memory CD8+ T cells (Tmem) has been shown to have superior efficacy compared to traditional ACT with effector CD8+ T cells (Teff). Teff and Tmem have complementary physiological advantages for immunotherapy, but previous publications have not examined ACT using a combination of Teff and Tmem. Methods Splenocytes harvested from Ly5.1+/C57BL/6 mice during and after infection with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) were used to generate bona fide effector and memory CD8+ T cells specific for the LCMV epitope peptide GP33. Congenic Ly5.2+/C57BL/6 mice were inoculated with B16F10 melanoma cells transfected to express very low levels of GP33, then treated with ACT 7 days later with GP33-specific Teff, Tmem, or a combination of Teff + Tmem. Results Inhibition of melanoma growth was strongest in mice receiving combinatorial ACT. Although combinatorial ACT and memory ACT resulted in maximal intratumoral infiltration of CD8+ T cells, combinatorial ACT induced stronger infiltration of endogenous CD8+ T cells than Tmem ACT and a stronger systemic T cell responsiveness to tumor antigen. In vitro assays revealed rapid but transient melanoma inhibition with Teff and gradual but prolonged melanoma inhibition with Tmem; the addition of Tmem enhanced the ability of Teff to inhibit melanoma in a manner that could be reproduced using conditioned media from activated Tmem and blocked by the addition of anti-IL-2 blocking antibody. Conclusions These findings suggest that a novel combinatorial approach that takes advantage of the unique and complementary strengths of tumor-specific Teff and Tmem may be a way to optimize the efficacy of adoptive immunotherapy.https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/143864/1/40425_2018_Article_358.pd

MicroRNA100 Inhibits Self-Renewal of Breast Cancer Stem–like Cells and Breast Tumor Development

miRNAs are essential for self-renewal and differentiation of normal and malignant stem cells by regulating the expression of key stem cell regulatory genes. Here, we report evidence implicating the miR100 in self-renewal of cancer stem-like cells (CSC). We found that miR100 expression levels relate to the cellular differentiation state, with lowest expression in cells displaying stem cell markers. Utilizing a tetracycline-inducible lentivirus to elevate expression of miR100 in human cells, we found that increasing miR100 levels decreased the production of breast CSCs. This effect was correlated with an inhibition of cancer cell proliferation in vitro and in mouse tumor xenografts due to attenuated expression of the CSC regulatory genes SMARCA5, SMARCD1, and BMPR2. Furthermore, miR100 induction in breast CSCs immediately upon their orthotopic implantation or intracardiac injection completely blocked tumor growth and metastasis formation. Clinically, we observed a significant association between miR100 expression in breast cancer specimens and patient survival. Our results suggest that miR100 is required to direct CSC self-renewal and differentiation

Determining crystal structures through crowdsourcing and coursework

We show here that computer game players can build high-quality crystal structures. Introduction of a new feature into the computer game Foldit allows players to build and real-space refine structures into electron density maps. To assess the usefulness of this feature, we held a crystallographic model-building competition between trained crystallographers, undergraduate students, Foldit players and automatic model-building algorithms. After removal of disordered residues, a team of Foldit players achieved the most accurate structure. Analysing the target protein of the competition, YPL067C, uncovered a new family of histidine triad proteins apparently involved in the prevention of amyloid toxicity. From this study, we conclude that crystallographers can utilize crowdsourcing to interpret electron density information and to produce structure solutions of the highest quality

A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF PHYTOTHERAPIES FOR NEWBORN JAUNDICE IN IRAN

Neonatal jaundice is one of the most common diseases among neonates that may cause irreparable complications such as kernicterus. This systematic review article was conducted to report and introduce medicinal plants that are used to treat neonatal jaundice in Iranian traditional medicine. To conduct this systematic review, the terms jaundice and icterus combined with the terms ethnobotanical, ethno-medicinal plants, ethnopharmacology, phytotherapy, and Iran were used to search for potentially relevant publications in Google Scholar, and Scientific databases ISI, PubMed, and Scopus. According to ethnobotanical evidence, six plant species from five families consisting of Cotoneaster discolour, Ziziphus jujube Miller, Hordeum vulgare L., Alhagi graecorum Boiss, Fumaria parviflora, and Chicorium intybus have been more frequently reported to be used to treat neonatal jaundice in Iran on which a number of studies have been conducted. However, a combination of two or more number of these plants has been reported to be used for treating neonatal jaundice. Although the plants and their compounds cause reduction in neonatal jaundice through different mechanisms of action, they cannot be considered an independent treatment in most cases. Therefore, it is recommended to use plants and their compounds as a complementary treatment to reduce bilirubin

IRANIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS EFFECTIVE ON SEXUAL DISORDERS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Medicinal plants used in traditional medicine and various cultures can be valuable resources for discovering new drugs. This review was conducted to report Iranian medicinal plants effective on sexual dysfunction (sexual desire disorders, erectile dysfunction, and premature ejaculation). To conduct this systematic review, the search terms Sexual*, Aphrodisiacs, Erectile, and Libido* combined with Medicinal plants, Herb*, and Phyto* were used to retrieve relevant publications from the databases International Scientific Institute, PubMed, Scopus, and EBSCO. Tribulus terrestris, Rosa damascena, Crocus sativus L., rosmarinic acid, and crocin are a number of medicinal plants and their derivatives that have libido-boosting properties. C. sativus, Zingiber officinale, and Peganum harmala are some of the plants that exert therapeutic effects on erectile dysfunction. Boswellia serrata and Lavandula angustifolia are two plants used to treat premature ejaculation. Medicinal plants that are used to treat sexual dysfunctions in Iran can help to improve sexual desire disorders, erectile dysfunction, and premature ejaculation through certain mechanisms such as affecting the cerebral neurotransmitters and sex cells, increasing physical strength, causing hormonal changes, and affecting neurons and certain parts of the brain. They can be used to discover and produce new effective drugs for sexual dysfunction

A REVIEW OF IRANIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS WITH TERATOGENIC AND ABORTION-INDUCING SIDE EFFECTS

Compounds with teratogenic effects can cause genetic defects during pregnancy and subsequently lead to unwanted abortions. Unwanted abortions and postnatal genetic defects can impose economic and psychological burden on the community. This systematic review was conducted to report medicinal plants with teratogenic and abortion-inducing side effects that are used in Iran. To conduct this systematic review, all articles specifically on the teratogenic and abortion-inducing effects of Iranian medicinal plants were retrieved from the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) and PubMed and their findings evaluated. Many plants have been reported to display teratogenic and abortion-inducing effects, but a limited number of them were experimentally examined and demonstrated to have such effects. Certain plants such as Perovskia abrotanoides and Lawsonia inermis can simultaneously exert teratogenic and abortion-inducing effects. Plants and their derivatives can cause teratogenic effects and lead to unwanted abortion through several action mechanisms. Such plants cannot be considered harmless solely because they are natural; therefore, they should be used during pregnancy cautiously, under physician's supervision, and at specific doses