Complementary Usage of Rhodiola crenulata (L.) in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients: The Effects on Cytokines and T Cells. (18th November 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Chen, Shih‐Pin; Huang Liu, Rosa; Lu, Tsong‐Ming; Wei, James Cheng‐Chung; Wu, Tzu‐Chin; Tsai, Wei‐Yu; Tsai, Chung‐Hung; Yang, Chi‐Chiang
• Is Part Of: Phytotherapy research. Volume 29:Number 4(2015:Apr.)
• Page Start: 518
• Page End: 525
• Publication Date: 2014-11-18
• Subjects: Materia medica, Vegetable -- Periodicals; Botany, Medical -- Periodicals; Medicinal plants -- Periodicals; Plant Extracts -- therapeutic use -- Periodicals; Plants, Medicinal -- Periodicals; 581.634
• DOI: 10.1002/ptr.5259
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0951-418X

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <p>Although chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an inflammatory disease predominantly involving T cells, no study of <italic>Rhodiola</italic> as an immunomodulator in COPD patients has been reported. In this study, COPD patients took <italic>Rhodiola crenulata</italic> 500 mg (<italic>n</italic> = 38) or placebo (starch/phosphate buffered saline) (<italic>n</italic> = 19) daily for 12 weeks and were compared with untreated, age‐matched, and sex‐matched non‐COPD control subjects. Our results showed that serum levels of IL‐2, IL‐10, and IFN‐γ in COPD patients before treatment are significantly higher than levels in non‐COPD controls (<italic>p</italic> < 0.05). A significant decrease in IFN‐γ was seen in the <italic>Rhodiola</italic> treatment group (<italic>p</italic> < 0.05) but not in the placebo group (<italic>p</italic> > 0.05). The results suggested that <italic>Rhodiola</italic> treatment had beneficial antiinflammation effects, lower COPD assessment test score and decreased high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein, on COPD patients (<italic>p</italic> < 0.05). The effects of <italic>Rhodiola</italic> treatment on COPD patients were shown to decrease the IFN‐γ concentration and CD8<sup>+</sup> count but increase the expressions of CD4<sup>+</sup>CD25<sup>+</sup>FOXP3<sup>+</sup> and CD4<sup>+</sup>CD25<sup>+</sup>CD45<sup>+</sup>FOXP3<sup>+</sup> in the blood significantly (<italic>p</italic> < 0.05). This is the first trial using <italic>Rhodiola</italic> as a complementary therapy for COPD patients. T cells play an important role in the pathogenesis of COPD through the increased expression of CD8<sup>+</sup> T cells and IFN‐γ and may be a viable target for potential therapy. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.</p> </abstract>