ArtistDi
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 2297
posted
From another patient's experience--
"I did want to pass on something that happened to me. I reacted to cipro > (fluoroquinolone antibiotic) last spring with severe shoulder tendon pain. > You warned me about the dangers of this family of antibiotics. Well, I had > the same reaction when I tried the cat's claw herb (Samento and Prima Una de > Gato) that is being used for Lyme disease. It was SEVERE tendon pain again. > I researched it and found that quinovic acid glycosides are the basis for > cat's claw AND the synthetic quinolones!! SO, no more of that herb for me!! > Tendon damage and rupture are not things I want to mess with. Just thought I > should let you know about this. Get well." [end of quote]
Eur J Pharmacol. 2002 May 24;444(1-2):39-45.
Pteropodine and isopteropodine positively modulate the function of rat muscarinic M(1) and 5-HT(2) receptors expressed in Xenopus oocyte.
Kang TH, Matsumoto K, Tohda M, Murakami Y, Takayama H, Kitajima M, Aimi N, Watanabe H.
Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Natural Medicine, Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama, 930- 0194, Japan.
Pteropodine and isopteropodine are heteroyohimbine-type oxindole alkaloid components of Uncaria tomentosa (Willd.) DC, a Peruvian medicinal plant known as cat's claw. In this study, the effects of these alkaloids on the function of Ca(2+)-activated Cl(-) currents evoked by stimulation of G protein-coupled muscarinic M(1) acetylcholine and 5-HT(2) receptors were studied in Xenopus oocytes in which rat cortex total RNA was translated. Pteropodine and isopteropodine (1-30 microM) failed to induce membrane current by themselves. However, these alkaloids markedly enhanced the current responses evoked by both acetylcholine and 5-hydroxyhyptamine (5-HT) in a concentration-dependent and reversible manner with the maximal effects at 30 microM. Pteropodine and isopteropodine produced 2.7- and 3.3-fold increases in the acetylcholine response with EC(50) values of 9.52 and 9.92 microM, respectively, and 2.4- and 2.5-fold increases in the 5-HT response with EC(50) values of 13.5 and 14.5 microM, respectively. In contrast, in oocytes injected with total RNA from the rat cerebellum or spinal cord, neither alkaloid had an effect on the metabotropic current responses mediated by glutamate receptor(1 and 5) (mGlu(1/5)) receptors or ionotropic responses mediated by N-methyl-D-aspartate, kainic acid or glycine. Pteropodine and isopteropodine (10 microM) significantly reduced the EC(50) values of acetylcholine and 5-HT that elicited current responses, but had no effect on the maximal current responses elicited by acetylcholine and 5-HT. On the other hand, mitraphylline, a stereoisomer of pteropodine, failed to modulate acetylcholine- and 5- HT-induced responses. These results suggest that pteropodine and isopteropodine act as positive modulators of muscarinic M(1) and 5-HT (2) receptors.
PMID: 12191580 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol. 1996 May;23(5):355-62. Related Articles, Links
Action of cholinesters on sensory nerve endings in skin and muscle.
Carr RW, Proske U.
Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
1. This is a review of the literature on the subject of the effects of cholinesters and their agonists on sensory nerve endings. 2. The present-day view is that acetylcholine (ACh) has an excitatory action on some cutaneous receptors. Responses appear to be limited to receptors served by small myelinated and un-myelinated axons where responsiveness is multimodal; that is, the receptors are activated by noxious thermal and mechanical stimulation. 3. The possible role played by acetylcholine in sensory transduction processes is discussed, as are other explanations for the presence of nicotinic cholinergic receptors on the terminals of cutaneous receptors. 4. The excitatory action of ACh and succinylcholine (SCh) on muscle spindles is described. Two possible mechanisms are considered: a direct depolarizing action on the nerve terminals and indirect excitation, brought about by a contracture of the intrafusal fibres on which the sensory endings lie. 5. The technique of using SCh in combination with fusimotor stimulation is described. This has provided new information about the internal workings of muscle spindles. Brief mention is also made of the action of SCh on tendon organs and joint receptors. 6. It is concluded that a direct action by cholinesters is restricted to receptors served by small axons with multimodal functions. The precise role of such an action remains the subject of speculation. Possible clinical significance is discussed.
Publication Types: Review Review, Tutorial
PMID: 8713671 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Perhaps of some use.
Toxicol Rev. 2005;24(1):11-35. Related Articles, Links
Toxicological aspects of the South American herbs cat's claw (Uncaria tomentosa) and Maca (Lepidium meyenii) : a critical synopsis.
Valerio LG Jr, Gonzales GF.
Division of Biotechnology and GRAS Notice Review, Office of Food Additive Safety, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, College Park, Maryland 20740, USA. [email protected]
Recent exceptional growth in human exposure to natural products known to originate from traditional medicine has lead to a resurgence of scientific interest in their biological effects. As a strategy for improvement of the assessment of their pharmacological and toxicological profile, scientific evidence-based approaches are being employed to appropriately evaluate composition, quality, potential medicinal activity and safety of these natural products. Using this approach, we comprehensively reviewed existing scientific evidence for known composition, medicinal uses (past and present), and documented biological effects with emphasis on clinical pharmacology and toxicology of two commonly used medicinal plants from South America with substantial human exposure from historical and current global use: Uncaria tomentosa (common name: cat's claw, and Spanish: una de gato), and Lepidium meyenii (common name: maca). Despite the geographic sourcing from remote regions of the tropical Amazon and high altitude Andean mountains, cat's claw and maca are widely available commercially in industrialised countries. Analytical characterisations of their active constituents have identified a variety of classes of compounds of toxicological, pharmacological and even nutritional interest including oxindole and indole alkaloids, flavonoids, glucosinolates, sterols, polyunsaturated fatty acids, carbolines and other compounds.The oxindole alkaloids from the root bark of cat's claw are thought to invoke its most widely sought-after medicinal effects as a herbal remedy against inflammation. We find the scientific evidence supporting this claim is not conclusive and although there exists a base of information addressing this medicinal use, it is limited in scope with some evidence accumulated from in vitro studies towards understanding possible mechanisms of action by specific oxindole alkaloids through inhibition of nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB activation. Although controlled clinical studies have demonstrated reduction in pain associated with cat's claw intake in patients with various chronic inflammatory disorders, there is insufficient clinical data overall to draw a firm conclusion for its anti-inflammatory effects. An important observation was that experimental results were often dependent upon the nature of the preparation used. It appears that the presence of unknown substances has an important role in the overall effects of cat's claw extracts is an important factor for consideration. The available animal toxicological studies did not indicate severe toxicity from oral intake of cat's claw preparations but rather were suggestive of a low potential for acute and subacute oral toxicity, and a lack of evidence to demonstrate genotoxic potential and mutagenic activity.Maca is a clear example of a herb with substantial medicinal use in traditional herbal medicine by indigenous cultures in South America since the first recorded knowledge of it in the seventeenth century. The hypocotyls of maca are the edible part of the plant used for nutritional and proposed fertility-enhancing properties. Maca has been described to possess many other medicinal properties in traditional herbal medicine but only a few of them have been well studied scientifically. Published clinical studies of maca seem to be related to its property as a nutrient, for male fertility and for energy. There are inadequate data regarding the precise mechanism of action of maca. Some studies suggest that secondary metabolites found in maca extracts are important constituents responsible for its physiological effects. Maca has been reported in the scientific literature to have a low degree of acute oral toxicity in animals and low cellular toxicity in vitro.An important finding unveiled by this review is the importance of standardisation in quality and additional basic and clinical research to scientifically validate and understand composition, biological activity, safety and risk. Development of a comprehensive pharmacological and toxicological profile through critical evaluation of existing and future experimental data, especially carefully conducted clinical studies would facilitate the scientific evidence-based approach to understanding potential biological effects of these major traditionally based herbals in current global use.
Publication Types: Review
PMID: 16042502 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Posts: 1572 | From Hatfield, MA, USA | Registered: Mar 2002
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