naphthoquinones and Granuloma

The naphthoquinone pigment, shikonin, isolated from Lithospermum erythrorhizon Sieb. et Zucc.(Boraginaceae) and its derivatives are the active components isolated from the Chinese herbal therapeutic, Zicao. Historically, Zicao root extracts have been used to treat macular eruption, measles, sore-throat, carbuncles and burns. Multiple pharmacological actions have been attributed to shikonin, e.g. antiinflammatory, antigonadotropic and anti-HIV-1 activity. In this review, several therapeutic applications of shikonin will be summarized including its pleiotropic, antiinflammatory and antitumour effects. Widely diverse and sometimes conflicting activities have been attributed to shikonin, e.g. wound healing, enhanced granuloma formation, suppression of local acute inflammatory reactions, inhibition of angiogenesis, inhibition of select chemokine ligands, inhibition of DNA topoisomerase activity, inhibition of platelet activation and antimicrobial activity. Comparison of the various reported mechanisms of action for shikonin lead us to hypothesize that shikonin is an effective inhibitor of protein-protein interaction with multiple targets in both the intracellular and extracellular compartments. This general inhibitory effect can account for the broad spectrum of shikonin biological and pharmacological activities.

Topics: Animals; Anti-Infective Agents; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; Granuloma; Humans; Inflammation; Lithospermum; Mast Cells; Naphthoquinones; Neoplasms; Neutrophils; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases; Respiratory Burst; Signal Transduction; Wound Healing

Schistosomiasis is still a major health problem affecting nearly 250 million people worldwide and causes approximately 280,000 deaths per year. The disease causes a serious granulomatous inflammatory response that produces significant mortality. Plumbagin reportedly displays anti-inflammatory, anti-fibrotic, antioxidant and anthelmintic properties. This study further elucidates these properties. Mice were infected with schistosomes and divided into five groups: non-infected untreated (C); infected untreated (IU); non-infected treated with plumbagin (P); infected treated with plumbagin (PI) and infected treated with praziquantel (PZ). Mice treated with 20 mg plumbagin/kg body weight showed reduction of 64.28% and 59.88% in male and female animals, respectively. Also, the number of eggs/g tissue was reduced 69.39%, 68.79% and 69.11% in liver, intestine and liver/intestine combined, respectively. Plumbagin alleviated schistosome-induced hepatosplenomegaly and reduced hepatic granuloma and liver collagen content by 62.5% and 35.26%, respectively while PZQ reduced hepatic granuloma and liver collagen content by 41.11% and 11.21%, respectively. Further, plumbagin treatment significantly (p < .001) reduced IL-4, IL-13, IL-17, IL-37, IFN-γ, TGF-β and TNF-α levels and significantly (p < .001) upregulated IL-10. Plumbagin treatment restored hepatic enzymes activity to nearly normal levels and induced an increase in catalase, SOD, GSH, total thiol and GST in liver tissue homogenate. NO and LPO content was, however, decreased. Moreover, serum IgG levels significantly increased. The present study is the first to report immunomodulatory and schistosomicidal activities of plumbagin in schistosomiasis.

Topics: Animals; Anthelmintics; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Antioxidants; Catalase; Female; Granuloma; Immunoglobulin G; Interleukin-10; Interleukin-13; Interleukin-17; Interleukin-4; Liver; Male; Mice; Naphthoquinones; Praziquantel; Schistosoma mansoni; Schistosomiasis; Schistosomiasis mansoni; Schistosomicides; Sulfhydryl Compounds; Superoxide Dismutase; Transforming Growth Factor beta; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

The activity of β-lapachone (3,4-dihydro-2,2-dimethyl-2H-naphthol[1,2-b]pyran-5,6-dione, β-lap) against different stages of Schistosoma mansoni was investigated in mice. Mice infected with 50 cercariae (BH strain) were intraperitoneally treated at a dose of 50 mg/kg for 5 consecutive days, starting on the 1st, 14th, 28th and 45th days after infection, to evaluate the effect of β-lap on skin schistosomula, lung schistosomula, young worms (before oviposition) and adult worms (after oviposition), respectively. All animals were euthanized 60 days after infection. β-Lap significantly reduced (p<0.001) the number of worms in 29.78%, 37.2%, 24.2% and 40.22% when administered during the phases of skin schistosomula, lung schistosomula, young worms and adult worms, respectively. Significant reduction was also achieved in terms of female burden. In all groups, there was significant reduction in the number of eggs and granulomas in the hepatic tissue. When the intervention was performed during the phase of adult worms, β-lap reduced the size of hepatic granulomas and changed the oogram pattern, lowering the percentage of immature eggs and increasing the percentage of mature and dead eggs. Our data indicate that β-lap has moderate antischistosomal properties. Its molecule may also be used as a prototype for synthesis of new naphthoquinone derivatives with potential schistosomicidal properties. Further studies with different formulations containing β-lap are needed to clearly establish the best dose and route of administration and its mechanism of action against schistosomes.

Topics: Animals; Antiparasitic Agents; Female; Granuloma; Life Cycle Stages; Liver; Liver Diseases; Lung; Lung Diseases; Magnoliopsida; Mice; Naphthoquinones; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts; Schistosoma mansoni; Schistosomiasis mansoni; Skin; Skin Diseases

The aims of this work were to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo schistosomicidal properties of the methanolic extract of the aerial parts of Mitracarpus frigidus (MFM) and to determine its HPLC profile. For the in vitro experiment, four pairs of adult worms, obtained from infected mice, were exposed to different concentrations of MFM (100 to 400 μg/mL) for 24 and 48 h and analyzed under an inverted microscope. For the in vivo experiment, mice were inoculated with cercariae and, 20 days after infection, MFM (100 and 300 mg/kg) was administered orally for the following 25 days. Mice were euthanized after 60 days. MFM showed in vitro schistosomicidal activity, exhibiting the opening of the gynaecophoral canal of some male schistosomes, the presence of contorted muscles, vesicles, and the darkening of the paired worms skin. In vivo experiments showed that MFM treatments significantly reduced total worm count, as praziquantel, showing a decrease in liver and spleen weight. Also, a significant reduction in granuloma density was observed. MFM treatment did not cause alterations in the liver function of either infected or noninfected mice. The HPLC chromatogram profile showed the presence of kaempferol-O-rutinoside, rutin, kaempferol, psychorubrin, and ursolic acid.

Topics: Animals; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Female; Granuloma; Kaempferols; Liver; Male; Mice; Naphthoquinones; Plant Extracts; Plants, Medicinal; Rubiaceae; Rutin; Schistosoma mansoni; Schistosomicides; Spleen; Triterpenes; Ursolic Acid

"The extract of shikon" (SK) and shikonin play important roles in the development of granulomatous tissue formation. To reveal the augmenting effect of SK or shikonin on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) production and neovascularization, we investigated murine granulomatous tissue induced by SK and shikonin, comparing them to pouches in which trehalose 6,6'-dimycolate (TDM) was injected. The development of granulomatous tissue formation was evaluated by the wet weight of pouch walls. At day 5 and 7 after SK and shikonin injection, prominent granulomatous tissue formation was detected. Histological observations on the development of granulomatous tissue showed that the pouch was formed in the submuscular connective tissue and necrotic tissue directly facing the cavity and granulomatous tissue developed in the connective tissue. At day 1, VEGF-positive neutrophils accumulated in the pouch wall. Granulomatous tissue formation and neovascularization by injection of SK or shikonin was not more prominent than TDM. However, the present results indicate that SK and shikonin induce neovascularization in granulomatous tissue.

Topics: Animals; CD3 Complex; Endothelial Growth Factors; Flow Cytometry; Granuloma; Lymphokines; Macrophage-1 Antigen; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred ICR; Naphthoquinones; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors

Topics: Aged; Anti-Infective Agents, Urinary; Atovaquone; Biopsy; Diagnosis, Differential; Drug Therapy, Combination; Granuloma; Humans; Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell; Lung; Male; Middle Aged; Naphthoquinones; Pneumonia, Pneumocystis; Pseudolymphoma

In the present study, the potential involvement of lipid peroxidation and disruption of lysosomal integrity in the pathogenesis of different experimental models of inflammation was examined. The chosen models were carrageenan-induced paw oedema, carrageenan granuloma pouch (acute phase) and Freund's adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats. The pharmacological and biochemical effects of naftazone, a lysosomal membrane stabilizer and indomethacin, a standard anti-inflammatory agent were evaluated with regard to paw oedema volume, serum and exudate activities of the lysosomal enzyme N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG), in addition to serum and liver lipid peroxide (LP) levels. Intraperitoneal administration of the test drugs, in rats subjected to inflammation, produced: (1) a significant inhibition of carrageenan-induced paw oedema, (2) a marked reduction of the paw oedema of the Freund's adjuvant arthritis animals, (3) a remarkable decrease of lysosomal leakage of NAG into the exudate of carrageenan granuloma pouch, (4) a slight, but significant, reduction of NAG activity in the serum of rats subjected to carrageenan inflammation, and (5) a reduction of the serum level of LP that was elevated in adjuvant-induced arthritic rats. The level of liver LP was altered by either drugs in an opposite manner; while naftazone lowered hepatic LP, indomethacin markedly elevated its level. The results of the present investigation revealed that lipid peroxidation and disruption of lysosomal integrity are implicated in the pathogenesis of inflammatory processes, and the protection against these deleterious effects imparted both drugs significant anti-inflammatory activity.

Topics: Acetylglucosaminidase; Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; Arthritis, Experimental; Carrageenan; Edema; Foot; Freund's Adjuvant; Granuloma; Indomethacin; Inflammation; Lipid Peroxidation; Lysosomes; Male; Naphthoquinones; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

This study was carried out to compare the accelerative effect in ether extracts of "Koushikon" and "Nanshikon" on proliferation of granuloma tissue in rats, and to elucidate this effect on optical isomer of naphthoquinone derivatives in those extracts. The content of total naphthoquinone derivatives in the ether extracts of Koushikon and Nanshikon were found to be 56.1% and 25.4%. Among naphthoquinone derivatives, Koushikon contained mostly acetyl derivative and Nanshikon mostly teracryl derivative. The percentage of R-type (shikonin-type) in total naphthoquinone derivatives of the extracts was 85.5% and 3.8%. Each ether extract showed a dose-dependent acceleration on the cotton pellet-induced granuloma formation. Comparison with corresponding doses containing the same quantity of naphthoquinone derivatives showed the accelerative potency of ether extracts of Koushikon and Nanshikon to be about the same. The result suggests that the accelerative effect on proliferation of granuloma tissue depends primarily on the total content of naphthoquinone derivatives, and not on the ratio of the optically active isomers.

Topics: Animals; Cell Division; Drugs, Chinese Herbal; Granuloma; Male; Naphthoquinones; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Stereoisomerism

Of twelve reduced and acetylated derivatives of shikonin, a chemical constituent of Shikon, the accelerating activity on granuloma formation and the inhibitory activity on delayed-type allergy were investigated in order to find a compound having more characteristic effect than shikonin on wound healing in experimental animals. As a result, it was found that a reduced and pentaacetylated derivative of shikonin, MDS-004, has more excellent pharmacological activity. MDS-004 (0.1-1 mg/pellet) accelerated dose-dependently felt-pellet-induced granuloma formation when given topically together with felt-pellets in rats. It also produced strong inhibition against delayed-type allergies (ear edema) caused by oxazolone and dinitrofluorobenzene by topical application of up to 1 mg/ear to the ear skin of mice; its potency was far superior to that of shikonin. Orally administered MDS-004, unlike shikonin, inhibited carrageenan-induced hind paw edema, and exhibited tendency to heal acetic acid-induced gastric ulcer in rats. However, MDS-004, as well as commercial wound healing drugs tested and shikonin, did not show any healing action in the incised and open wound models in rats, if applied topically to the wound as 5 and 10% powders. On the other hand, MDS-004 did not produce irritative action on the ear skin at a topical dose of 1 mg/ear different from shikonin, and any behavioral changes after oral administration of 100 mg/kg in mice. These results suggest that a white powder MDS-004, different from deep purple shikonin, has accelerating action on granuloma formation without irritative action and stronger inhibitory action on delayed-type allergy by topical application than shikonin.

Topics: Animals; Granulation Tissue; Granuloma; Hypersensitivity, Delayed; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred Strains; Naphthoquinones; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains; Wound Healing

Topics: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Capillary Permeability; Female; Granuloma; Male; Naphthoquinones; Rats

Topics: Animals; Animals, Newborn; Carcinogens; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; Dogs; Female; Fibroma; Fibrosarcoma; Granuloma; Hydroxylation; Liver Neoplasms; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin; Male; Mice; Naphthalenes; Naphthoquinones; Neoplasms, Experimental; Nitroso Compounds; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms; Urine