Rasayana tantra is one of the eight specialties of Ayurveda. It is a specialized practice in the form of rejuvenative recipes, dietary regimen, special health promoting behaviour and drugs. Properly administered Rasayana can bestow the human being with several benefits like longevity, memory, intelligence, freedom from diseases, youthful age, excellence of luster, complexion and voice, optimum strength of physique and sense organs, respectability and brilliance. Various types of plant based Rasayana recipes are mentioned in Ayurveda. Review of the current literature available on Rasayanas indicates that anti-oxidant and immunomodulation are the most studied activities of the Rasayana drugs. Querying in Pubmed database on Rasayanas reveals that single plants as well as poly herbal formulations have been researched on. This article reviews the basics of Rasayana therapy and the published research on different Rasayana drugs for specific health conditions. It also provides the possible directions for future research.
Animals ; Anti-Ulcer Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Antiparasitic Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Aphrodisiacs ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Free Radical Scavengers ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Giardiasis ; drug therapy ; Herbal Medicine ; classification ; methods ; trends ; Humans ; Immunologic Factors ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Medicine, Ayurvedic ; Models, Biological ; Neuroprotective Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Plant Preparations ; classification ; therapeutic use ; Radiation-Protective Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use

NPC is a high incidence of malignant tumors of the head and neck, and is currently used mainly radiotherapy based, supplemented by a comprehensive treatment of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, which have serious complications and serious impact on the treatment of patients and quality of life. Polyphenols are the main component of tea. Studies have shown that tea polyphenols have a significant anti-tumor effect of im proving the effect of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, reducing radiation damage, reducing conventional chemo therapy drugs IC50 and reducing the complications of chemotherapy. Tea polyphenols in the treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma has also made great progress. It has a strong inhibition of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells, and can greatly reduce the occurrence of xerostomia after radiotherapy, which is of important clinical research value.
Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; pharmacology ; Carcinoma ; Humans ; Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; radiotherapy ; Polyphenols ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Radiation-Protective Agents ; pharmacology ; Tea ; chemistry

Differentiated thyroid cancer can be effectively treated with high-dose 131I and the other head and neck cancer can also be effectively treated with extra-radiotherapy, but these treatments often result in a reduction in salivary gland function, causing xerostomia. Collectively, these effects can lead to severe secondary complications, including difficulty in speaking and swallowing, decreasing appetite even affecting nutrition and sleep. Amifostine, an analog of cysteamine, is a phosphorlyated aminothiol prodrug and its active metabolite, WR-1065 etc, can selectively protect normal tissues from the cytotoxic effects of drugs and/or radiation while preserve antitumor effects. Many studies have demonstrated that amifostine protects normal tissues from both acute and late extra-radiation damage without protecting the tumor. It has been approved by FDA to be used for protecting the salivary gland from xerostomia caused by radiotherapy. It has also show protecting effects on intra-radiotherapy, but there are many problems waiting for study.
Amifostine ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Animals ; Clinical Trials as Topic ; Clinical Trials, Phase II as Topic ; Clinical Trials, Phase III as Topic ; Cytoprotection ; Head and Neck Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; radiotherapy ; Humans ; Rabbits ; Radiation Injuries ; prevention & control ; Radiation-Protective Agents ; pharmacology

This study examined whether amifostine (WR-2721) could attenuate memory impairment and suppress hippocampal neurogenesis in adult mice with the relatively low-dose exposure of acute radiation syndrome (ARS). These were assessed using object recognition memory test, the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling assay, and immunohistochemical markers of neurogenesis [Ki-67 and doublecortin (DCX)]. Amifostine treatment (214 mg/kg, i.p.) prior to irradiation significantly attenuated the recognition memory defect in ARS, and markedly blocked the apoptotic death and decrease of Ki-67- and DCX-positive cells in ARS. Therefore, amifostine may attenuate recognition memory defect in a relatively low-dose exposure of ARS in adult mice, possibly by inhibiting a detrimental effect of irradiation on hippocampal neurogenesis.
Acute Radiation Syndrome/drug therapy/*immunology/psychology ; Amifostine/*pharmacology/therapeutic use ; Animals ; Apoptosis/immunology ; Gamma Rays/*adverse effects ; Hippocampus/immunology ; Immunohistochemistry ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; Male ; Memory/*radiation effects ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Neurogenesis/immunology ; Radiation-Protective Agents/*pharmacology/therapeutic use

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of Yangyin Humo Decoction (YHD) on oral mucomembranous reaction in patients with head-neck tumor undergoing radiotherapy.

METHODSForty-Forty-two patients with head-neck tumor undergoing radiotherapy were randomized equally into two groups. The two conventional Western medical treatment was administered to all, including intravenous dripping of 2% lidocaine 20 mL, dexamethasone 5 mg, gentamycin 80,000 units, vitamin B(12) 5 mg, dissolved in saline 250 mL, and 5% sodium bicarbonate solution for gargling, but to the patients in the tested group, YHD was given additionally. The medication was started simultaneously all through the whole course of the radiotherapy. Patients were examined every day to observe and compare the degree, initiating time, and repairing time of their oral lesions; the dosage of radiation they received was recorded as well.

RESULTSThe degree of mucomembranous reaction that appeared in most patients in the test group was of grade 1-2, while in the control group, it was grade 2-3. The average time for oral lesion of 1, 2, 3 grades to be initiated in the test group was 12.0+/-1.1, 11.0+/-1.3 and 10.0+/-0.8 days, respectively, after radiation started, which was later than that in the control group (P<0.01). Moreover, the average repairing time for the lesions of grades 1, 2, and 3 in the test group was 3.0+/-0.7, 10.0+/-1.3 and 19.0+/-0.8 days, which were shorter than those in the control group respectively (P<0.01). The radiation applied on the primary tumor of patients with oral lesion of grade 1-3 in the test group was 24.2+/-2.2, 42.0+/-2.6 and 58.0+/-1.6 Gy on the average, respectively, which were higher than that applied on patients in the control group (P<0.05 or P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe Chinese herbal preparation YHD could alleviate oral mucomembranous reaction to radiation applied in patients with head-neck tumor.

Adult ; Aged ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Head and Neck Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; pathology ; radiotherapy ; Humans ; Lymphoma ; drug therapy ; pathology ; radiotherapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mouth Mucosa ; drug effects ; pathology ; radiation effects ; Radiation Injuries ; pathology ; prevention & control ; Radiation-Protective Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Radiotherapy Dosage ; Time Factors ; Wound Healing ; drug effects

OBJECTIVETo study the protective effect of an extract of Guipi Pill () against radiation-induced damage.

METHODSA total of 100 Kunming mice were randomly divided into normal group, model group, positive drug group (treated with radioprotective agent "523", 5 mg/kg at 24 h before irradiation) and two treatment groups, with 20 mice in each group. The extract of water extraction-alcohol precipitation (WAP) from Guipi Pill were administered orally to the mice in the two treatment groups at the dose of 500 and 1,000 mg/kg, respectively, for 6 days prior to whole body radiation (8 Gy). Fifty mice with 10 in each group were used to observe the survival rate 30 days after radiation. The other 50 mice with 10 in each group were sacrificed on day 10 after radiation (6 Gy) in order to take blood, liver and unilateral femur.

RESULTSPretreatment prior to irradiation with WAP resulted in a significantly higher 30-day survival rate of mice after exposure to a potentially lethal dose of 8-Gy radiation. WAP could significantly increase the total white blood cell count and DNA content of bone marrow, and it also increased the activity of various antioxidant enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, total antioxidant capacity and glutathione peroxidase in liver tissue of mice, which were reduced by radiation treatment. Maleic dialdehyde level and bone marrow micronucleus rate were significantly reduced by WAP, which were increased after 6-Gy radiation.

CONCLUSIONWAP of Guipi Pill could increase the 30-day survival rate and the antioxidant capacity as well as protect bone marrow in mice. WAP of Guipi Pill is an effective radioprotective agent.

Animals ; Antioxidants ; metabolism ; Bone Marrow ; pathology ; Chemical Precipitation ; DNA ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Leukocyte Count ; Liver ; metabolism ; pathology ; radiation effects ; Male ; Mice ; Micronuclei, Chromosome-Defective ; Phytotherapy ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Protective Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Radiation Injuries, Experimental ; blood ; drug therapy ; prevention & control ; Survival Analysis ; Water