title: [Cytokine secretion in whole blood of healthy subjects following oral administration of Urtica dioica L. plant extract].
abstract: Twenty healthy volunteers ingested for 21 days 2 capsules b.i.d. of an IDS 23/1 containing nettle leaf extract (Rheuma-Hek). Before and after 7 and 21 days the basal and the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulated tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) concentrations were measured ex vivo. In vitro the effects of IDS 23/1 on the release of these cytokines were determined. Additionally basal interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) levels were recorded. Orally taken the test drug has ex vivo no effect on basal levels of TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta, IL-4, IL-6 or IL-10 which were always below detection limits. After 7 and 21 days ingestion ex vivo a decrease of LPS stimulated TNF-alpha release of 14.6 and 24.0%, respectively, was observed. IL-1 beta was reduced for 19.2 and 39.3%. In vitro IDS 23/1 added to whole blood resulted in an exceeded inhibition of LPS stimulated TNF-alpha and IL-1 beta secretion which correlated with the duration of the drug ingestion. Using the highest tested IDS 23/1 concentration the inhibition reached 50.5 (day 0) to 79.5% (day 21) for TNF-alpha and 90.0 (day 0) to 99.2% (day 21) for IL-1 beta, respectively. IDS 23/1 induced a pronounced release of IL-6 in absence of LPS only in vitro. The detected IL-6 concentrations were comparable to those after LPS stimulation, additive effects could not be observed. The absence of detectable IL-6 concentrations in whole blood ex vivo after oral ingestion of the tested drug as well as the differences in the inhibition patterns for TNF-alpha and IL-1 beta ex vivo and ex vivo in vitro suggest that the extract contains different pharmacological effective compounds with varying bioavailabilities.
authors.affiliation: Strathmann AG & Co., Hamburg.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Teucher
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Obertreis
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ruttkowski
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schmitz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001682:Biological Availability; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007378:Interleukins / Q000097:blood; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007378:Interleukins; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D010936:Plant Extracts; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
vernacular_title: Zytokin-Sekretion im Vollblut gesunder Probanden nach oraler Einnahme eines Urtica dioica L.-Blattextraktes.