- 1Department of Histology and Embryology, Biostructure Centre, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
- 2Department of Pathomorphology, Biostructure Centre, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland; Military Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Warsaw, Poland.
- 3Department of Laboratory Diagnostics and Clinical Immunology of Developmental Age, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
- 4I Department of Lung Diseases, National Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases, Warsaw, Poland.
- 5Department of Immunology, Biochemistry, and Nutrition, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
Abstract
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.
KEYWORDS:
BAL; LIA; bronchoalveolar lavage cells; herbal remedy; leukocyte-induced angiogenesis; murine skin; sarcoidosis
