People turn nervous when mention is made of radiation injuries, which cause multiple organ morbidities and are difficult to manage. However, the discovery of antiradiation drugs remains challenging. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) may be an effective treatment strategy because of its overall regulation. Herein, we systematically review TCM formulae, herbs, and natural products as potential antiradiation candidates. At the same time, we categorize them by their effective characteristics and target organs. In addition, TCM formulae, herbs, and ingredients used to block the absorption and accelerate the excretion of radionuclides are considered in this review. To better manage radiation injuries, the scientific basis of TCM for radioprotection requires further in-depth research.
Recently, immunotherapy has redefined cancer treatment by promoting the rapid killing of tumor cells through the immune system. Herbal medicines have been increasingly used as adjunct therapies to complement cancer treatment along with chemotherapy and radiotherapy to delay tumor development, reduce pain, and prolong patient survival. However, the potential immunotherapeutic effects of these herbal derivatives are limited by their structural instability, poor membrane permeability, and low bioavailability. To address this issue, nanotechnology has been used to enhance the activity of active compounds. Therefore, this review focuses on the effectiveness of the active ingredients of herbal medicines in suppressing tumor progression by modulating both the innate and adaptive immune systems, challenges in their delivery, and the application of nanocarriers for the effective delivery of these herbal components.
The likelihood of radiation-induced injury (RII) has increased. Currently, the chemical drugs used to prevent and control radiation damage have some drawbacks, such as high toxicity, which can also have other side effects on the body. However, many traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) monomers, single TCM, and compound TCM preparations have shown good therapeutic effects against radiation damage with increased safety and minimal adverse reactions. Therefore, new anti-RII TCMs must be explored and developed. This study reviewed the TCM preparations for the prevention and treatment of RII and their mechanisms of action to provide a better theoretical basis for research on the prevention and treatment of RII. TCM is an efficient, safe, and convenient strategy for the prevention and treatment of RII.
Objective: Radiotherapy is used to treat patients with tumors; however, radiation (IR)-induced testicular injury, which has no effective treatment approved in clinical practice, significantly influences their prognosis and quality of life. The protective effects and underlying mechanisms of action of isofraxidin (IF) against IR-induced testicular injury were investigated.
Methods: A mouse testis injury model was established using 5 Gy irradiation. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, immunofluorescence staining, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were used to measure DNA damage, apoptosis, inflammatory reactions, and oxidative stress in the testes of mice after irradiation. The effectiveness of IF irradiation on testicular injury was evaluated, and the mechanisms of the related oxidative stress and inflammatory response pathways were discussed.
Results: IF can improve IR-induced testicular injury by inhibiting the increased levels of DNA damage, apoptosis rate, oxidative stress, and inflammatory factors. The radioprotective effects of IF on testicular injury are mediated by the stimulation of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/heme oxidase-1 (HO-1) or suppression of NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome signaling pathways. In addition, crosstalk between the Nrf2/HO-1 and NLRP3 inflammasome signaling pathways was elucidated, in which the inhibition of the NLRP3 inflammasome was mediated by the activation of Nrf2 signaling with IF upon IR exposure.
Conclusion: IF can be a potent radioprotective agent to mitigate testicular damage, and may provide a new therapeutic option to alleviate the side effects of radiotherapy in male patients with tumors.
Objective: Camellia nitidissima Chi, a Chinese medicine commonly used by ethnic minorities in Guangxi, China, is beneficial for clearing heat, detoxifying, inducing diuresis, and suppressing swelling. It has various pharmacological properties, including antitumor, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant. However, its potential application in radioprotection remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to determine whether Camellia nitidissima Chi has radioprotective effects against radiation-induced gastrointestinal and hematopoietic damage.
Methods: The 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical and 2,2’-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) techniques were used to assess the ability of Camellia nitidissima Chi to scavenge free radicals. We conducted a 30-day survival rate experiment to evaluate the radioprotective capabilities of Camellia nitidissima Chi. Additionally, we developed models of radiation-induced intestinal and hematopoietic damage. Alterations in the white blood cell (WBC) count, total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), glutathione (GSH), and protein expression linked to apoptosis were observed.
Results: Camellia nitidissima Chi scavenged 84.72% and 93.47% of DPPH and ABTS, had a certain radiation protection potential, and increased the survival rate of mice to over 90%. Moreover, following exposure, Camellia nitidissima Chi enhanced WBC, T-SOD, and GSH levels. Camellia nitidissima Chi increased B-cell lymphoma-extra large (BCL-XL) expression and suppressed Bcl-2 associated X protein (BAX) expression, providing radioprotection to cells.
Conclusions: Camellia nitidissima Chi has a strong antioxidant ability; it can improve the survival rate of mice after lethal dose irradiation and protect against radiation-induced hematopoietic and gastrointestinal damage. These findings can serve as a guide for using Chinese medicines for radioprotection.
Objective: Patients with colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) who undergo radiation therapy develop radiation enteritis (RE). The predictive value of RE in COAD is yet to be established. Berberine, an active compound derived from the traditional Chinese medicinal plant, Coptis chinensis, has notable anti-inflammatory properties and offers protection to the intestinal mucosa. This study aimed to evaluate the possible therapeutic effect and mechanism of berberine as a treatment for COAD complicated with RE (COAD&RE).
Methods: Relevant genetic features of diverse COAD&RE populations were analyzed using bioinformatics and the Cox proportional hazards regression model. The therapeutic targets of berberine were predicted using network pharmacology and molecular docking. In vivo and in vitro experiments were conducted to validate the core genes identified using molecular docking.
Results: RE has a certain impact on the prognosis of COAD and berberine may play an important role in the treatment of COAD&RE. In addition, we identified five core therapeutic targets of berberine by network pharmacology and molecular docking: CCND1, MYC, AR, LEP, and CYP19A1. In vivo experiments showed that berberine increased short-term survival rate, body weight, and intestinal epithelial cell recovery in mice after radiation. In an in vitro study, berberine promoted the proliferation of human intestinal epithelial cells and enhanced the radiosensitivity of HT29 cells after radiation, and the relative mRNA expression levels of CCND1 and MYC closely correlated with these effects.
Conclusions: This study predicted the potential therapeutic effects of berberine on COAD&RE and verified the relevant mechanisms, which may provide insights and suggestions for the clinical treatment of COAD&RE.
Background: Radiotherapy, a primary approach in cancer treatment, damages normal cells while targeting cancer cells. Therefore, it is crucial to identify drugs with minimal side effects, high reliability, and radioprotective effects to develop novel radiotherapy strategies. Hemerocallis citrina extracts (HCE), which are derived from plants with medicinal and culinary applications, possess antioxidative and anticancer properties.
Methods: In this study, we investigated the radioprotective effects of HCE on LO2 cells exposed to radiation to determine whether these effects were mediated through the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2-cystine-glutamate antiporter/glutathione peroxidase 4 pathway.
Results: Cell proliferation experiments demonstrated the radioprotective effect of HCE on LO2 cells. Western blot analysis revealed that HCE regulated B-cell lymphoma protein 2-associated X, Cleaved-caspase 3, and B-cell lymphoma protein 2, thereby inhibiting radiation-induced apoptosis, which was consistent with the flow cytometry results.
Conclusions: Moreover, the detection of ferroptosis-related markers indicated that HCE alleviated radiation-induced ferroptosis in LO2 cells through the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2-cystine-glutamate antiporter/glutathione peroxidase 4 pathway. These findings provide a theoretical basis for the radioprotective effects of HCE on LO2 cells and offer new insights into the development of radioprotective drugs.
Objective: Injury can lead to long-term changes that increase the sensitivity of afferent nerve endings to subsequent stimulation and pain can transition from acute to chronic. This phenomenon is known as hyperalgesic priming (HP). This study aimed to understand the mechanisms underlying the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on HP and optimize acupoint selection for EA to prevent pain transition.
Methods: A rat HP model was established using sequential intraplantar injections of carrageenan (Cg) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). The pain thresholds were measured using von Frey filaments. EA on bilateral Zusanli (ST36) and Kunlun (BL60) was used to prevent pain transition. The number of mast cells in the ipsilateral hindpaw skin was determined using toluidine blue or fluorescence-labeled avidin staining. The protein expression levels of protein kinase C epsilon (PKCε) in the lumbar dorsal root ganglions (DRGs) were detected by western blotting 24 h after PGE2 injection. Serial pharmacological experiments were conducted to evaluate the relationship between mast cells and pain transition. Finally, EA on the bilateral ST36 and Chongyang (ST42) or a novel combination (ST36 and ST42 on the ipsilateral side, and ST36 and BL60 on the contralateral side) was used to prevent pain transition.
Results: Although EA applied to ST36 and BL60 alleviated acute pain induced by Cg injection, it failed to prevent the pain transition caused by PGE2 injection. Mast cell accumulation in the ipsilateral hind paw was observed 7 days after Cg injection. Furthermore, mast cell degranulation may be responsible for PKCε activation in the DRG, a marker of pain transition. EA significantly decreased the number of mast cells in the skin of the ipsilateral hind paw when applied at ST36 and ST42, but not when applied at ST36 and BL60. Furthermore, EA employed to ST36 and ST42 significantly reversed long-term hyperalgesia induced by PGE2 injection, even when administered before injection. However, EA did not alleviate acute pain caused by Cg injection. By using a novel acupoint combination, EA simultaneously alleviated acute pain and prevented pain transition.
Conclusions: Our study suggests that mast cells play a critical role in both HP and the transition from acute to chronic pain, whereas EA can prevent pain transition by decreasing the number of mast cells in the local tissue.
Objective: Bone is a tissue that is constantly remodeled to adjust the microarchitecture and maintain the mechanical needs of bone through the balance of bone resorption and formation processes. Alterations in these processes can lead to the development of different diseases, such as osteoarthritis and osteoporosis. In recent years, it has been shown that acupuncture is an effective treatment for pain, physical dysfunctions, and the immune system, so the stimulation of acupuncture points could affect genes associated with inflammatory processes and, therefore, osteoarthritis and osteoporosis. To analyze changes in gene expression post-acupuncture in data from a group of individuals with osteoarthritis that also manifests in osteoporosis.
Methods: Through using microarray technology and bioinformatics analysis, potential genes associated with osteoarthritis after acupuncture treatment are identified and compared with genes implicated in osteoporosis. The genes identified in each disease were evaluated through a Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) signaling pathway analysis, where the results allowed the generation of an in-silico model that shows interaction networks between signaling pathways and genes involved in both diseases.
Results: In this interaction, 37 differentially expressed genes were identified in patients with osteoarthritis before and after acupuncture treatment, and 665 differentially expressed genes were involved in osteoporosis. In the osteoarthritis group, 15 signaling pathways involved in this disease were obtained, and for osteoporosis, 13 signaling pathways associated with immunological processes that participate in bone metabolism were obtained osteoarthritis and osteoporosis are two age-associated diseases that are characterized by alterations in the bone remodeling mechanism induced by changes in gene expression profiles.
Conclusions: Treatment with acupuncture can modify various cytokines involved in diseases related to the immune system so that it can have beneficial effects on osteoarthritis and osteoporosis. In addition, bioinformatics analysis allows us to know those signaling pathways through which they could have acupuncture effects.
Star anise (Illicium verum Hook. f., SA) is a well-known culinary seasoning in China and Vietnam. Actually, SA also has been widely used as a traditional Chinese medicine in China with a long history. Phytochemical analysis has revealed that SA contains a high concentration of essential oils, phenols, flavonoids, and other bioactive compounds that contribute to its diverse pharmacological properties. These properties include antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and analgesic, anti-oxidation, antiviral, anti-cancer, anti-diabetes, antidiarrheal, and promoting hair growth. Various preclinical studies have shown that SA extracts and their active constituents may have potential therapeutic applications in preventing and treating various diseases. However, a comprehensive report on the relationship between the active ingredient, biological activity, and food characteristics of SA is rare. The medicinal value of SA has not been well valued and developed. This review provides an overview of the botanical chemistry and pharmacological properties of SA, as well as its potential innovative applications in food and personal care products, aiming to provide theoretical support for its further development and utilization.