Protective effects of schizandrin and schizandrin B towards cisplatin nephrotoxicity in vitro

Abstract

Renal proximal tubular epithelial cells are the main targets of toxic drugs such as cisplatin (CisPt), an alkylating agent indicated for the treatment of solid organ tumors. Current techniques aiming at reducing nephrotoxicity in patients receiving CisPt are still not satisfactory as they can only partially prevent acute kidney injury. New nephroprotective strategies remain to be developed. In the present in vitro study, schizandrin (Schi) and schizandrin B (Schi B), major phytochemicals from Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill. fruits, were tested on HK-2 cells along four processes that could help alleviate CisPt toxicity. Results indicated that: (i) both Schi and Schi B enhanced cell survival via reducing apoptosis rate; (ii) only Schi showed moderate effects towards modulation of regeneration capacities of healthy cells; (iii) both Schi and Schi B limited extracellular matrix deposition; and (iv) both compounds could help preventing dedifferentiation processes via the β-catenin pathway. Schi and Schi B present promising activities for future development of protective agents against CisPt nephrotoxicity.

Standardized Herbal Formula PM014 Inhibits Radiation-Induced Pulmonary Inflammation in Mice

“…Herbs of seven species in PM014 were also evaluated in regards to their therapeutic effects. Among individual herbs, Fruit of Schizandra chinensis and Root of Scutellaria baicalensis showed some attenuation effects on X-ray induced lung inflammation in the mice (Supplementary Figure S2), compared to other herbs, which were reported to exhibit medicinal effects such as renal protective and anti-inflammatory effects, respectively364546. Although the therapeutic effective components of PM014 have not yet been fully characterized, we could suggest that PM014 was the most ef-6fective therapeutic agent, compared to the individual herbs, and that PM014 is likely to achieve a more helpful effect based on the synergy of its individual compontents.…”

Potential nephroprotective effects of the Chinese herbAngelica sinensisagainst cisplatin tubulotoxicity

“…This phenomenon is due to EGF (epidermal growth factor), which is present in FBS (Ryan et al, 1994). CisPt treatment also increased the Ki-67 index to 216 ± 5%, but this effect should be regarded as the consequence of the toxic activity of CisPt that triggers a G2/ M cell cycle arrest, leading to artificially higher Ki-67 indexes (Bunel et al, 2014;Jamieson & Lippard, 1999).…”

Standardized Herbal Formula PM014 Inhibits Radiation-Induced Pulmonary Inflammation in Mice

“…Herbs of seven species in PM014 were also evaluated in regards to their therapeutic effects. Among individual herbs, Fruit of Schizandra chinensis and Root of Scutellaria baicalensis showed some attenuation effects on X-ray induced lung inflammation in the mice (Supplementary Figure S2), compared to other herbs, which were reported to exhibit medicinal effects such as renal protective and anti-inflammatory effects, respectively 36,45,46 . Although the therapeutic effective components of PM014 have not yet been fully characterized, we could suggest that PM014 was the most ef-6fective therapeutic agent, compared to the individual herbs, and that PM014 is likely to achieve a more helpful effect based on the synergy of its individual compontents.…”