HangAmDan-B, an Ethnomedicinal Herbal Mixture, Suppresses Inflammatory Responses by Inhibiting Syk/NF-κB and JNK/ATF-2 Pathways

Abstract

HangAmDan-B (HAD-B) is a powdered mixture of eight ethnopharmacologically characterized folk medicines that is prescribed for solid masses and cancers in Korea. In view of the finding that macrophage-mediated inflammation is a pathophysiologically important phenomenon, we investigated whether HAD-B modulates inflammatory responses and explored the associated molecular mechanisms. The immunomodulatory activity of HAD-B in toll-like receptor-activated macrophages induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was assessed by measuring nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) levels. To identify the specific transcription factors (such as nuclear factor [NF]-jB and signaling enzymes) targeted by HAD-B, biochemical approaches, including kinase assays and immunoblot analysis, were additionally employed. HAD-B suppressed the production of PGE2 and NO in LPS-activated macrophages in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, the extract ameliorated HCl/EtOH-induced gastritis symptoms. Moreover, HAD-B significantly inhibited LPS-induced mRNA expression of inducible NO synthase and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2. Interestingly, marked inhibition of NF-jB and activating transcription factor was observed in the presence of HAD-B. Data from direct kinase assays and immunoblot analysis showed that HAD-B suppresses activation of the upstream signaling cascade involving spleen tyrosine kinase, Src, p38, c-Jun N-terminal kinase, and transforming growth factor b-activated kinase 1. Finally, kaempferol, but not quercetin or resveratrol was identified as a bioactive compound in HAD-B. Therefore, our results suggest that HAD-B possesses anti-inflammatory activity that contributes to its anticancer property.

Survival Analysis of Advanced Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients Treated by Using Wheel Balance Cancer Therapy

“…Recently, various integrative cancer therapies have been tried. As WBCT is also one of those therapies, the effectiveness of WBCT compared with conventional therapy for NSCLC patients, 21 case reports on WBCT, 12 and survival outcomes after WBCT intervention 13 - 17 have been investigated. This research is the first to investigate and report the results of the survival times of patients with advanced NSCLC who were treated only with WBCT without any other concurrent treatment.…”

“…For metabolism activation, patients received acupuncture, moxibustion, hydrotherapy (herbal steam baths), herbal hot pack therapy, and pharmacopuncture (herbal acupuncture) treatments. For antiangiogenic agents and immunotherapy, antiangiogenic and immune-system-stimulating agents, including anticancer capsules (HangAm-Plus [HAP]) 13 - 15 and immune-enhancing capsules (MyunYuk-Plus [MYP]), 16 , 17 are orally administered daily. HAP and MYP, which were developed at the EWCC and consist of herbal medicines, have been used for about 20 years at the EWCC for the treatment of patients with solid tumors.…”

Acorus gramineusand and Euodia ruticarpa Steam Distilled Essential Oils Exert Anti-Inflammatory Effects Through Decreasing Th1/Th2 and Pro-/Anti-Inflammatory Cytokine Secretion Ratios In Vitro

“…Inflammation is the fixed mode of the body's defense against foreign harmful substances. However, chronic inflammation is recognized as a potential risk factor [4], resulting in continuous and repeated inflammatory reactions that can cause other diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, obesity and rheumatoid arthritis [5,6]. One strategy includes natural or synthetic products that are non-toxic to normal cells that can suppress or prevent initial carcinogenesis or the progression of premalignant cells in invasive diseases [7][8][9].…”

Antitumor Effects and Acute Oral Toxicity Studies of a Plant Extract Mixture Containing <i>Rhus verniciflua</i> and Some Other Herbs

“…The antitumor properties of medicinal herbs may be attributed to their antioxidant [2], anti-inflammatory [2], and immunomodulatory [3] properties. Many herbal extracts or their components also have been reported to induce apoptosis in cancer cells [4], so apoptosis-inducing activity of anticancer herbs may play an important role in tumor suppression.…”