Saikosaponins: a potential treatment option for systemic lupus erythematosus.
While the exact cause of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is still unknown, modern medicine has a number of effective treatments for this complex disorder. Corticosteroid hormones help reduce inflammation, antimalarial treatments address flare-ups and immunosuppressive medications work to keep the immune system in check. All these therapies are well tolerated, but accompany an increased risk of infection and nephrotoxicity. Recently, several studies showed that a number of natural and herbal products may also help some SLE patients deal with the debilitating symptoms. In this brief report, we proposed a traditional Chinese medicinal herb--Saikosaponins, and discussed its potential as a treatment option for SLE.
Department of Pharmacology, The First People's Hospital, Lakeshore New District, Hefei, 230001, Anhui, People's Republic of China.
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Wu
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Wu
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Fan
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Pan
D000818:Animals; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020945:Lupus Vasculitis, Central Nervous System / Q000188:drug therapy*; D009828:Oleanolic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012503:Saponins / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D012503:Saponins; D009828:Oleanolic Acid; C025759:saikosaponin D