Dietary supplements in lessening inflammation associated with polymyositis

Astragalus propinquus, synonymously known as A. membranaceus (AM)

"AM presents immunorestorative and immunomodulating effects in immunosuppressed chickens by activating macrophages and increasing the production of interferons."(Cho, Leung, Aug. 2007)[1]

"Formononetin, 7-hydroxy-4'methoxyisoflavone, from the roots of AM is an isoflavone which modulates the secretion of cytokines in culture and thus indicating their anti-inflammatory role in vivo." (Diterich, Härter 2001) [2]

"AM increases the production of IL-12 while reducing the production of IL-10 and IL-18 thus correcting the immunologic dysfunction. It is the imbalance in cytokine system which leads to inflammation associated with..." (Wang. 2009) [3]

Isoflavones
Isoflavones from other sources such as soy bean have been shown to reduce LPS-induced inflammation by lowering the levels of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF α, No and PGE2. ( Medjakovic, Mueller, Jungbauer. 2010) [4]

"Following supplement administration, isoflavone serum concentration can reach 10 µM and plasma concentrations of between 1 and 2.4 µM after taking isoflavone-rich diet. These ranges of isoflavone concentration can exert anti-inflammatory effects."

 

Footnotes:

1. Cho W, Leung K. In vitro and in vivo immunomodulating and immunorestorative effects of Astragalus membranaceus. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 15;113(1):132-41, 0 as found at VIEW

2. Diterich I, Härter L, Hassler D. Modulation of Cytokine Release in Ex Vivo-Stimulated Blood from Borreliosis Patients. Infect Immun, 69(2): 687–694, 2001 as found at VIEW

3. Wang, J, ZHANG Qiu-ye,CHEN Yong-xing. Effects of Astragalus membranaceus on Cytokine Secretion of Peripheral Dendritic Cells in Children with Henoch-Schonlein Purpura in the Acute Phase. Chinese Journal of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine, 2009-09, 2009 as found at VIEW

4. Medjakovic S, Mueller M., Jungbauer A. Potential Health-modulating Effects of Isoflavones and Metabolites via Activation of PPAR and AhR. Nutrients, 2(3):241-279, 2010 as found at VIEW