A Chinese Herbal Preparation Containing Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae, Radix Notoginseng and Borneolum Syntheticum Reduces Circulating Adhesion Molecules

Abstract

Circulating adhesion molecules (CAMs), surface proteins expressed in the vascular endothelium, have emerged as risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). CAMs are involved in intercellular communication that are believed to play a role in atherosclerosis. A Chinese medicine, the “Dantonic Pill” (DP) (also known as the “Cardiotonic Pill”), containing three Chinese herbal material medica, Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae, Radix Notoginseng and Borneolum Syntheticum, has been used in China for the prevention and management of CVD. Previous laboratory and animal studies have suggested that this preparation reduces both atherogenesis and adhesion molecule expression. A parallel double blind randomized placebo-controlled study was conducted to assess the effects of the DP on three species of CAM (intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 and endothelial cell selectin (E-selectin)) in participants with mild-moderate hypercholesterolemia. Secondary endpoints included biochemical and hematological variables and clinical effects. Forty participants were randomized to either treatment or control for 12 weeks. Treatment with DP was associated with a statistically significant decrease in ICAM-1 (9% decrease, P = .03) and E-Selectin (15% decrease, P = .004). There was no significant change in renal function tests, liver function tests, glucose, lipids or C-reactive protein levels and clinical adverse effects did not differ between the active and the control groups. There were no relevant changes in participants receiving placebo. These results suggest that this herbal medicine may contribute to the development of a novel approach to cardiovascular risk reduction.

Rabbit Sera Containing Compound Danshen Dripping Pill Attenuate Leukocytes Adhesion to TNF-Alpha–Activated Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells by Suppressing Endothelial ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 Expression Through NF-KappaB Signaling Pathway

“…30 A clinical trial reveals that CDDP confers a reduction in the levels of circulating leukocyte CAMs in participants with mild-moderate hypercholesterolemia. 12 Similarly, CDDPcontaining sera were shown in our study to be effective in downregulation of the levels of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 mRNA and protein in TNF-a-activated HUVECs, which coincided with other reports that Radix salviae miltiorrhizae and SalB alleviate the TNF-a-induced surface expression of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 on HUVECs. 24,31,32 Moreover, PNS and PDS sharply mitigate the levels of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 on TNF-a-activated HCAECs and in the aorta of high cholesterol diet-fed rats.…”

“…The regimen proceeded twice daily for 7 consecutive days, with one administration in the morning and another at night. The daily CDDP doses for low, medium, and high groups, much less than the toxic dose, 12 were equivalent to 5, 10, and 20 times the clinical dosage for adult patient at 60 kg body weight, respectively. The dosage selection was based on our similarly seropharmacological study.…”

Safety Surveillance of Traditional Chinese Medicine: Current and Future

“…Dantonic ® (T89) consists of containing three Chinese herbal material medica, Danshen ( Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae ), Sanqi ( Radix Notoginseng ), and Borneolum syntheticum, and has been approved as a drug in 26 countries, except the USA, to prevent and treat patients with chronic stable angina pectoris and other cardiovascular disease-related conditions [86]. In recent clinical trials in the USA, B. syntheticum has been replaced with the single-compound borneol as a transporting enhancer [87].…”

Systematic Review of Compound Danshen Dropping Pill: A Chinese Patent Medicine for Acute Myocardial Infarction

“…The phase II clinical trial of CDDP to treat chronic stable angina (http://clinicaltrials.gov/, NCT00797953) had been completed in the United States in 2010. Moreover, this drug has been approved by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration for use and is widely available in Australia [9]. CDDP consists of three compositions, namely, Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae , Radix Notoginseng , and Borneolum Syntheticum .…”