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International Journal of Molecular... Jul 2015In the present study, we aimed to determine whether ethanol extracts of Fructus Schisandrae (FS), the dried fruit of Schizandra chinensis Baillon, mitigates the...
In the present study, we aimed to determine whether ethanol extracts of Fructus Schisandrae (FS), the dried fruit of Schizandra chinensis Baillon, mitigates the development of dexamethasone-induced muscle atrophy. Adult SPF/VAT outbred CrljOri:CD1 (ICR) mice were either treated with dexamethasone to induce muscle atrophy. Some mice were treated with various concentrations of FS or oxymetholone, a 17α-alkylated anabolic-androgenic steroid. Muscle thickness and weight, calf muscle strength, and serum creatine and creatine kinase (CK) levels were then measured. The administration of FS attenuated the decrease in calf thickness, gastrocnemius muscle thickness, muscle strength and weight, fiber diameter and serum lactate dehydrogenase levels in the gastrocnemius muscle bundles which was induced by dexamethasone in a dose-dependent manner. Treatment with FS also prevented the dexamethasone-induced increase in serum creatine and creatine kinase levels, histopathological muscle fiber microvacuolation and fibrosis, and the immunoreactivity of muscle fibers for nitrotyrosine, 4-hydroxynonenal, inducible nitric oxide synthase and myostatin. In addition, the destruction of the gastrocnemius antioxidant defense system was also inhibited by the administration of FS in a dose-dependent manner. FS downregulated the mRNA expression of atrogin-1 and muscle ring-finger protein-1 (involved in muscle protein degradation), myostatin (a potent negative regulator of muscle growth) and sirtuin 1 (a representative inhibitor of muscle regeneration), but upregulated the mRNA expression of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, Akt1, adenosine A1 receptor and transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 4, involved in muscle growth and the activation of protein synthesis. The overall effects of treatment with 500 mg/kg FS were comparable to those observed following treatment with 50 mg/kg oxymetholone. The results from the present study support the hypothesis that FS has a favorable ameliorating effect on muscle atrophy induced by dexamethasone, by exerting anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects on muscle fibers, which may be due to an increase in protein synthesis and a decrease in protein degradation.
Topics: Aldehydes; Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Antioxidants; Creatine; Creatine Kinase; Dexamethasone; Drugs, Chinese Herbal; Fibrosis; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; Mice; Mice, Inbred ICR; Muscle Proteins; Muscle Strength; Muscle Tonus; Muscle, Skeletal; Muscular Atrophy; Myostatin; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; Oxymetholone; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase; Protein Biosynthesis; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; RNA, Messenger; Receptor, Adenosine A1; SKP Cullin F-Box Protein Ligases; Schisandra; Sirtuin 1; TRPV Cation Channels; Tripartite Motif Proteins; Tyrosine; Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases
PubMed: 25955031
DOI: 10.3892/ijmm.2015.2200 -
Stem Cell Reports Jan 2015Androgens are widely used for treating Fanconi anemia (FA) and other human bone marrow failure syndromes, but their mode of action remains incompletely understood. Aged...
Androgens are widely used for treating Fanconi anemia (FA) and other human bone marrow failure syndromes, but their mode of action remains incompletely understood. Aged Fancd2(-/-) mice were used to assess the therapeutic efficacy of oxymetholone (OXM) and its mechanism of action. Eighteen-month-old Fancd2(-/-) mice recapitulated key human FA phenotypes, including reduced bone marrow cellularity, red cell macrocytosis, and peripheral pancytopenia. As in humans, chronic OXM treatment significantly improved these hematological parameters and stimulated the proliferation of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. RNA-Seq analysis implicated downregulation of osteopontin as an important potential mechanism for the drug's action. Consistent with the increased stem cell proliferation, competitive repopulation assays demonstrated that chronic OXM therapy eventually resulted in stem cell exhaustion. These results expand our knowledge of the regulation of hematopoietic stem cell proliferation and have direct clinical implications for the treatment of bone marrow failure.
Topics: Animals; Blood Cell Count; Bone Marrow; Cell Cycle; Cell Proliferation; Disease Models, Animal; Fanconi Anemia; Fanconi Anemia Complementation Group D2 Protein; Gene Expression Regulation; Hematopoiesis; Hematopoietic Stem Cells; Humans; Mice; Mice, Knockout; Osteopontin; Oxymetholone; Pancytopenia; Sequence Analysis, RNA; Time Factors; Transcription, Genetic
PubMed: 25434823
DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2014.10.014 -
The Cochrane Database of Systematic... Oct 2014Anaemia occurs when blood contains fewer red blood cells and lower haemoglobin levels than normal, and is a common complication among adults with chronic kidney disease... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Anaemia occurs when blood contains fewer red blood cells and lower haemoglobin levels than normal, and is a common complication among adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Although a number of approaches are applied to correct anaemia in adults with CKD, the use of androgen therapy is controversial.
OBJECTIVES
The aim of this review was to determine the benefits and harms of androgens for the treatment of anaemia in adult patients with CKD.
SEARCH METHODS
We searched CENTRAL, the Cochrane Renal Group's Specialised Register, the Chinese Biomedicine Database (CBM), CNKI, VIP and reference lists of articles without language restriction. The most recent search was conducted in August 2014.
SELECTION CRITERIA
All randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that assessed the use of androgens for treating anaemia of CKD in adults were eligible for inclusion.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Two authors independently extracted data and assessed risk of bias in the included studies. Meta-analyses were performed using relative risk (RR) for dichotomous outcomes and mean differences (MD) for continuous outcomes, with 95% confidence intervals (CI).
MAIN RESULTS
We included eight studies that reported data from 181 participants. Study quality was assessed as moderate in six studies, one was low quality, and one was high quality. The small number of included studies, and low participant numbers adversely influenced evidence quality overall.We found limited evidence (1 study, 24 participants) to indicate that oxymetholone can increase haemoglobin (Hb) (MD 1.90 g/dL, 95% CI 1.66 to 2.14), haematocrit (HCT) (MD 27.10%, 95% CI 26.49 to 27.71), change in albumin (MD 4.91 g/L, 95% CI 3.69 to 6.13), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (MD 54.50 U/L, 95% CI 43.94 to 65.06), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (MD 47.33 U/L, 95% CI 37.69 to 56.97); and decrease high-density lipoprotein (HDL) (MD -15.66 mg/dL, 95% CI -24.84 to -6.48). We also found that compared with erythropoietin alone, nandrolone decanoate plus erythropoietin may increase HCT (3 studies, 73 participants: MD 2.54%, 95% Cl 0.96 to 4.12). Compared with erythropoietin (1 study, 27 participants), limited evidence was found to suggest that nandrolone decanoate can increase plasma total protein (MD 0.40 g/L, 95% CI 0.13 to 0.67), albumin (MD 0.20 g/L, 95% CI 0.01 to 0.39), and transferrin (MD 45.00 mg/dL, 95% CI 12.61 to 77.39) levels. Compared with no therapy (remnant kidney), evidence was found to suggest that nandrolone decanoate can increase Hb (2 studies, 33 participants: MD 1.04 g/dL, 95% Cl 0.66 to 1.41) and HCT (1 study, 24 participants: MD 3.70%, 95% Cl 0.68 to 6.72). Compared with no therapy (anephric), evidence was found (1 study, 5 participants) to suggest that nandrolone decanoate can increase Hb (MD 1.30 g/dL, 95% Cl 0.57 to 2.03), but nandrolone decanoate did not increase HCT (MD 2.00%, 95% Cl -0.85 to 4.85).However, oxymetholone was not found to reduce blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine (SCr), cholesterol, or triglycerides; or increase plasma total protein, prealbumin, or transferrin. No evidence was found to indicate that nandrolone decanoate increased prealbumin or decreased BUN, SCr, AST, ALT, cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL or low-density lipoprotein (LDL). Adverse events associated with androgen therapy were reported infrequently.
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
We found insufficient evidence to confirm that use of androgens for adults with CKD-related anaemia is beneficial.
Topics: Adult; Androgens; Anemia; Cholesterol; Erythropoietin; Hematocrit; Humans; Nandrolone; Nandrolone Decanoate; Oxymetholone; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic; Triglycerides
PubMed: 25300168
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD006881.pub2 -
QJM : Monthly Journal of the... Aug 2014
Topics: Adult; Anabolic Agents; Humans; Infarction; Kidney; Male; Oxymetholone; Performance-Enhancing Substances; Polycythemia; Substance-Related Disorders; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Weight Lifting
PubMed: 24557731
DOI: 10.1093/qjmed/hcu042