A natural herbal remedy modulates angiogenic activity of bronchoalveolar lavage cells from sarcoidosis patients.
Sarcoidosis is a systemic inflammatory disease with abnormally high angiogenic activity of inflammatory cells. Reumaherb preparation consisting of three herbs: Echinacea purpurea, Harpagophytum procumbens, and Filipendula ulmaria, and it exerts anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and analgesic activity and stimulates regenerative and immunological processes. The aim of this paper was to estimate the effect of Reumaherb on immunological angiogenesis induced by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cells collected from six patients with sarcoidosis and grafted into Balb/c mice skin. After grafting, the animals were fed for three days with 0.6 or 1.2 mg of Reumaherb (calculated from recommended human daily dose) daily, suspended in 40 µl of water, or 40 µl of water alone (control group). A significant reduction of newly formed blood vessels was obtained in four cases for 1.2 mg and in three cases for 0.6 mg daily dose of this remedy. Thus, we hypothesise that Reumaherb promotes anti-angiogenic activity and may potentially be used in diseases associated with excessive blood vessel formation.
Department of Histology and Embryology, Biostructure Centre, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
Dorota M
DM
Radomska-Leśniewska
Department of Pathomorphology, Biostructure Centre, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland; Military Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Warsaw, Poland.
Ewa
E
Skopińska-Różewska
Department of Laboratory Diagnostics and Clinical Immunology of Developmental Age, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
Urszula
U
Demkow
Department of Histology and Embryology, Biostructure Centre, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
Jarosław
J
Jóźwiak
I Department of Lung Diseases, National Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases, Warsaw, Poland.
Małgorzata
M
Sobiecka
Department of Immunology, Biochemistry, and Nutrition, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
Barbara Joanna
BJ
Bałan
BAL; LIA; bronchoalveolar lavage cells; herbal remedy; leukocyte-induced angiogenesis; murine skin; sarcoidosis