title: Suppressive effects of Stephania tetrandra on the neutrophil function in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: Crude preparations of Stephania tetrandra (ST), a traditional herbal medicine, have been used safely for arthritis and silicosis in China. The concentration of granulocyte elastase - alpha 1 protease inhibitor complex in plasma is enhanced in inflammatory processes, e.g. in septicaemia and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), being an expression of granulocyte activation during inflammatory response. It has previously been reported that ST showed beneficial and immunomodulatory effects in the treatment of relatively mild RA. After the administration of ST for 12 weeks, the proportion of granulocytes and the granulocyte count in peripheral blood decreased significantly. The lipid peroxide and human granulocyte elastase levels of stored plasma declined significantly. Furthermore, both the leukocyte/elastase ratio and granulocyte/elastase ratio increased significantly. The findings of this study suggest that the suppressive effect of ST administration on excessive granulocyte activation resulted in the improvement of inflammation with rheumatoid arthritis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Japanese Oriental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Sugitani 2630, Toyama 930-0194, Japan. s114@ms.toyama-mpu.ac.jp
authors.forename: Nobuyasu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sekiya
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shimada
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Niizawa
authors.forename: Toshiaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kogure
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mantani
authors.forename: Shinya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sakai
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hikiami
authors.forename: Katsutoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Terasawa
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006098:Granulocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011446:Prospective Studies; D031609:Stephania tetrandra
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D010936:Plant Extracts