Enhancing the efficacy of Hypericum perforatum in the treatment of an experimental model of multiple sclerosis using gold nanoparticles: an in vivo study

Objective: Hypericum perforatum is a herbal medicine used in traditional medicine for the treatment of depression due to its antidepressant and anti-inflammatory activities. Therefore, we evaluated the therapeutic efficacy of H. perforatum extract (HPE) in combination with gold nanoparticles (HPE-GN...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Mahmoud Mahmoudi, Maryam Rastin, Mohammad Kazemi Arababadi, Akbar Anaeigoudari, Reza Nosratabadi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Mashhad University of Medical Sciences 2022-05-01
Series:Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine
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Online Access:https://ajp.mums.ac.ir/article_19574_d8ef1a0c3ada92f1ac801aedf2a989c2.pdf
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Summary:Objective: Hypericum perforatum is a herbal medicine used in traditional medicine for the treatment of depression due to its antidepressant and anti-inflammatory activities. Therefore, we evaluated the therapeutic efficacy of H. perforatum extract (HPE) in combination with gold nanoparticles (HPE-GNP) against experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of multiple sclerosis. Materials and Methods: EAE was induced in C57BL/6 mice with subcutaneous injection of MOG35-55 emulsified in complete Freund's adjuvant, and intraperitoneal pertussis toxin. Mice were treated with drugs in free (HPE) and nano-form (HPE-GNP) preparations. Splenocytes were isolated from all mice and the level of inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines were evaluated by ELISA. The expression of T cells' transcription factors was also assessed using Real-Time PCR.Results: Clinical score was reduced after HPE-GNP treatment. This change was associated with a decrease in the incidence and infiltration of inflammatory cells into the central nervous system. Additionally, treatment with HPE-GNP decreased the level of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-17A and IL-6) and increased anti-inflammatory cytokines (TGF-β, IL-10 and IL-4). The real-time analysis revealed a decrease in the level of T-bet and ROR-γt  but an increase in FoxP3 and GATA3 expression.Conclusion: The current study demonstrated that HPE-GNP could potentially reduce clinical and pathological complications of EAE, but laboratory data showed that HPE-GNP was significantly more effective than HPE in the treatment of EAE.
ISSN:2228-7930
2228-7949