Research
Zhongguo Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi. 2005 May;25(5):445-8.
Li J, Fan WH, Ao H.
Department of Cardiac Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai.
Effect of rhodiola on expressions of Flt-1, KDR and Tie-2 in rats with ischemic myocardium.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of rhodiola on expression of vascular endothelial growth factors receptors (VEGFR) in myocardium of rats after myocardial infarction. METHODS: On the basis of successful establishment of myocardial infarction rat model, the experimental animals were divided into the model group, the rhodiola group, the positive control group and the sham-operated group, they were sacrificed after 6 weeks feeding. Their hearts were resected and embedded in paraffin to make sections with standard immunohistochemistry stain. Then the stained slices were analyzed in the IMS cell imagine analysis system using immunohistochemical quantitative analysis software. The field of vision of left ventricular myocardial tissue in three sites selected from the marginal area of infarction in each slice were determined, the mean value was then converted to positive area. Meanwhile, the mean optical density (OD) was calculated and the various expressions of VEGFR, i.e. Flt-1, KDR and angiopoietin receptor (Tie-2) were measured. RESULTS: The expressions of Flt-1 and Tie-2 in myocardial tissue were significantly increased in the rhodiola treated group after treatment, showing significant difference as compared with those in the positive control group and the model group (P < 0.05). The expression of KDR in myocardium after rhodiola intervention was higher than that in the sham-operated and nonintervened group (P < 0.05), but insignificantly different to that in the positive control group and model group. CONCLUSION: Rhodiola could improve angiogenesis to ameliorate myocardial ischemia by regulating the expression of Flt-1 and Tie-2 in ischemic myocardium.
Biofactors. 2004;20(3):147-59.
De Sanctis R, De Bellis R, Scesa C, Mancini U, Cucchiarini L, Dacha M.
Istituto di Chimica Biologica "Giorgio Fornaini", Universita degli Studi di Urbino "Carlo Bo", Urbino (PU), Italy.
In vitro protective effect of Rhodiola rosea extract against hypochlorous acid-induced oxidative damage in human erythrocytes.
Rhodiola rosea L. (Crassulaceae) is a plant living at high altitudes in Europe and Asia. Its roots have long been used in the traditional medical system of these geographical areas to increase the organism resistance to physical stress; today, it has become an important component of many dietary supplements. In this study we investigate the antioxidant capacity of the R. rosea aqueous extract evaluating its ability to counteract some of the main damages induced by hypochlorous acid (HOCl), a powerful oxidant generated by activated phagocytes, to human erythrocytes. Ascorbic acid was used as a reference substance because of its physiological HOCl-scavenging ability. Our study demonstrates that R. rosea is able to significantly protect, in a dose-dependent manner, human RBC from glutathione (GSH) depletion, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) inactivation and hemolysis induced by the oxidant. Furthermore, we demonstrate that R. rosea aqueous extract acts from the inside of the erythrocyte suggesting a probable involving of cell components. The protection on GSH afforded by the R. rosea extract with respect to ascorbic acid, occurred also if added 2 or 5 min. later than the oxidant, suggesting a more rapid or powerful effect.
Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2004 Jun;14(3):298-307.
De Bock K, Eijnde BO, Ramaekers M, Hespel P.
Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy in the Exercise Physiology and Biomechanics Laboratory at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Tervuursevest 101, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium.
Acute Rhodiola rosea intake can improve endurance exercise performance.
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of acute and 4-week Rhodiola rosea intake on physical capacity, muscle strength, speed of limb movement, reaction time, and attention.
METHODS: PHASE I: A double blind placebo-controlled randomized study (n= 24) was performed, consisting of 2 sessions (2 days per session). Day 1: One hour after acute Rhodiola rosea intake (R, 200-mg Rhodiola rosea extract containing 3% rosavin + 1% salidroside plus 500 mg starch) or placebo (P, 700 mg starch) speed of limb movement (plate tapping test), aural and visual reaction time, and the ability to sustain attention (Fepsy Vigilance test) were assessed. Day 2: Following the same intake procedure as on day 1, maximal isometric knee-extension torque and endurance exercise capacity were tested. Following a 5-day washout period, the experimental procedure was repeated, with the treatment regimens being switched between groups (session 2). PHASE II: A double blind placebo-controlled study (n = 12) was performed. Subjects underwent sessions 3 and 4, identical to Phase I, separated by a 4-week R/P intake, during which subjects ingested 200 mg R/P per day.
RESULTS: PHASE I: Compared with P, acute R intake in Phase I increased (p <.05) time to exhaustion from 16.8 +/- 0.7 min to 17.2+/- 0.8 min. Accordingly, VO2peak (p <.05) and VCO2peak (p<.05) increased during R compared to P from 50.9 +/- 1.8 ml x min(-1) x kg(- )1 to 52.9 +/- 2.7 ml x min(-10) x kg(-1) (VO2peak) and from 60.0 +/- 2.3 ml x min(-1) x kg(-1) to 63.5+/- 2.7 ml x min(-1) x kg(-1) (VCO2peak). Pulmonary ventilation (p =.07) tended to increase more during R than during P (P: 115.9+/- 7.7 L/min; R: 124.8 +/- 7.7 L/min). All other parameters remained unchanged. PHASE II: Four-week R intake did not alter any of the variables measured.
CONCLUSION: Acute Rhodiola rosea intake can improve endurance exercise capacity in young healthy volunteers. This response was not altered by prior daily 4-week Rhodiola intake.
Phytother Res. 2006 May;20(5):424-5.
Effect of a combination of extract from several plants on Cell-mediated and humoral immunity of patients with advanced ovarian cancer.
Kormosh N, Laktionov K, Antoshechkina M.
N.N. Blokhin Cancer Research Center of Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Kashirskoe shosse 24, Moscow 115478, Russian Federation.
The influence of a plant preparation AdMax (Nulab Inc., Clearwater, FL, USA) on immunity in ovarian cancer patients was studied. The preparation is a combination of dried ethanol/water extracts from roots of Leuzea carthamoides, Rhodiola rosea, Eleutherococcus senticosus and fruits of Schizandra chinensis. Twenty eight patients with stage III-IV epithelial ovarian cancer were treated once with 75 mg/m(2) cisplatin and 600 mg/m(2) cyclophosphamide. Peripheral blood was collected 4 weeks after the chemotherapy. Subclasses of T, B and NK lymphocytes were tested for in the blood samples: CD3, CD4, CD5, CD7, CD8, CD11B, CD16, CD20, CD25, CD38, CD45RA, CD50, CD71 and CD95. Immunoglobulin G, A and M concentrations were also determined. Changes were observed in the following T cell subclasses: CD3, CD4, CD5 and CD8. In patients who took AdMax (270 mg a day) for 4 weeks following the chemotherapy, the mean numbers of the four T cell subclasses were increased in comparison with the mean numbers of the T cell subclasses in patients who did not take AdMax. In patients who took AdMax, the mean amounts of IgG and IgM were also increased. The obtained results suggest that the combination of extracts from adaptogenic plants may boost the suppressed immunity in ovarian cancer patients who are subject to chemotherapy. Copyright (c) 2006
John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
PMID: 16619374 [PubMed - in process]
