RECENT RESEARCH flora involved in immunomodulation in the treatment of diseases , and categorized and summarized the mechanism of immunomodulation between diseases and prescription medicines , which provided a new perspective for the exploration of the mechanism of Chinese medicine in the treatment of autoimmune diseases , with a view to providing a new direction and a new way of thinking for the treatment of autoimmune diseases
Woon TH , Tan MJH , Kwan YH , Fong W . Evidence of the interactions between immunosuppressive drugs used in autoimmune rheumatic diseases and Chinese herbal medicine : A scoping review . Complementary Therapies in Medicine . 2024 ; 80 , 103017 . https :// doi . org / 10.1016 / j . ctim . 2024.103017 .
Objectives : Chinese herbal medicine ( CHM ) has been shown to be effective in autoimmune rheumatic diseases , but harmful herb-drug interactions might be inherent . We aim to review the evidence regarding herb-drug interactions between immunosuppressive drugs used in autoimmune rheumatic diseases and CHM .
Methods : We searched PubMed , EMBASE and CINAHL from inception till 30 April 2023 using keywords that encompassed ‘ herb-drug interactions ’, ‘ herbs ’ and ‘ immunosuppressants ’. Articles were included if they contained reports about interactions between immunosuppressive drugs used in the treatment of rheumatic diseases with CHM . Level of evidence for each pair of interaction was graded using the algorithm developed by Colalto .
Results : A total of 65 articles and 44 unique pairs of interactions were identified . HDIs were reported for cyclophosphamide , cyclosporine , tacrolimus , methotrexate , mycophenolic acid , glucocorticoids , sulfasalazine , tofacitinib and biologic diseasemodifying antirheumatic drugs . Among these , cyclosporine ( n = 27 , 41.5 %) and tacrolimus ( n = 19 , 29.2 %) had the highest number of documented interactions . Hypericum perforatum had the highest level of evidence of interaction with cyclosporine and tacrolimus . Consumption reduced the bioavailability and therapeutic effects of the drugs . Schisandra sphenanthera had the highest level of evidence of interaction with tacrolimus and increased the bioavailability of the drug . Majority of the articles were animal studies .
Conclusion : Overall level of evidence for the included studies were low , though interactions between cyclosporine , tacrolimus , Hypericum perforatum and Schisandra sphenanthera were the most and well-documented . Healthcare professionals should actively enquire about the concurrent use of CHM in patients , especially when drugs with a narrow therapeutic index are consumed .
Aromatherapy
Stojanović NM , Ranđelović PJ , Simonović M , Radić M , Todorović S , Corrigan M , Harkin A , Boylan F . Essential oil constituents as antiinflammatory and neuroprotective agents : An insight through microglia modulation . Int J Mol Sci . 2024 ; 25 ( 10 ): 5168 . doi : 10.3390 / ijms25105168
Microglia are key players in the brain ’ s innate immune response , contributing to homeostatic and reparative functions but also to inflammatory and underlying mechanisms of neurodegeneration . Targeting microglia and modulating their function may have therapeutic potential for mitigating neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration . The antiinflammatory properties of essential oils suggest that some of their components may be useful in regulating microglial function and microglial-associated neuroinflammation . This study , starting from the ethnopharmacological premises of the therapeutic benefits of aromatic plants , assessed the evidence for the essential oil modulation of microglia , investigating their potential pharmacological mechanisms . Current knowledge of the phytoconstituents , safety of essential oil components , and anti-inflammatory and potential neuroprotective effects were reviewed . This review encompasses essential oils of Thymus spp ., Artemisia spp ., Ziziphora clinopodioides , Valeriana jatamansi , Acorus spp ., and others as well as some of their components including 1,8-cineole , β-caryophyllene , β-patchoulene , carvacrol , β-ionone , eugenol , geraniol , menthol , linalool , thymol , α-asarone , and α-thujone . Essential oils that target PPAR / PI3K- Akt / MAPK signalling pathways could supplement other approaches to modulate microglial-associated inflammation to treat neurodegenerative diseases , particularly in cases where reactive microglia play a part in the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration .
Complementary and alternative medicine
Hübner S , Sarhan M , Schauer F . Use of complementary and alternative medicine in patients with autoimmune bullous dermatoses : A cohort study analysis of a rare disease group . Complement Med Res . 2023 ; 30 ( 3 ): 221 – 229 . https :// doi . org / 10.1159 / 000529142
Introduction : Autoimmune bullous diseases ( AIBD ) are a heterogeneous group of rare autoantibody-mediated blistering dermatoses of the skin and / or mucous membranes . Their incidence is around 20 new cases per million inhabitants per year in Germany . Patients with chronic , oncological , or rare diseases often urge for a holistic therapeutic approach that includes complementary and alternative medicine ( CAM ). So far , only few contradictory reports on CAM in pemphigoid or pemphigus disease exist . The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency , motives , and satisfaction with the use of alternative treatments in patients with AIBD and to provide a basis for further investigation .
Methods : We used a structured online questionnaire , consisting of 20 questions to survey patients with AIBD and their relatives . The German pemphigus and pemphigoid self-help groups were
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