An alternative therapy for graves' disease: clinical effects and mechanisms of an herbal remedy.
Graves' disease, the most common cause of hyperthyroidism, is an autoimmune disorder. Antithyroid drugs have been selected as the first-line treatment of Graves' disease in Korea, Japan, and European countries. However, antithyroid drugs such as methimazole (MMI) and prophylthiouracil (PTU) have limitations in clinical applications because of their side effects. In this study, we performed a clinical trial and in vitro study to investigate the clinical effects and action mechanism of Ahnjeonbaekho-tang (AJBHT), an herbal remedy for Graves' disease. In a clinical study of Graves' disease patients who had side effects from antithyroid drugs, we found that treatment by AJBHT resulted in a reduction of serum triiodothyronine (T3) and free thyroxine (FT4) levels and an increase in thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels (T3: p<0.0001, FT4: p=0.0012, TSH: p=0.0370, respectively). In vitro, AJBHT significantly inhibits FRTL-5 cell proliferation, DNA synthesis, cyclic AMP production, T4 synthesis, and the expression of thyroglobulin (Tg) mRNA in comparison with the control. These results suggest that AJBHT might suppress T(4) synthesis by modulating adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) and Tg expression, and therefore, AJBHT could be an alternative therapy for Graves' disease patients who have side effects from antithyroid drugs.
Lee
Byung-Cheol
BC
Department of Internal Medicine, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyung Hee University, 1 Hoegi-dong, Dongdaemun-Ku, Seoul 130-701, Korea.
Kang
Shin-Ik
SI
Ahn
Young-Min
YM
Doo
Ho-Kyung
HK
Ahn
Se-Young
SY
D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004247:DNA / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006111:Graves Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007453:Iodide Peroxidase / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology; D012313:RNA / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts; D013844:Thiazoles; D013954:Thyroglobulin / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D010936:Plant Extracts; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts; D013844:Thiazoles; C528667:ahnjeonbaekho-tang; D012313:RNA; D013972:Thyrotropin; D004247:DNA; D013954:Thyroglobulin; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D007453:Iodide Peroxidase; C022616:thiazolyl blue; D013974:Thyroxine