Chinese Medicines for Preventing and Treating Radiation-Induced Pulmonary Injury: Still a Long Way to Go.

2019-09-05
Frontiers in pharmacology 10
- Yan Ding
- Yuechao Liu
- Hongliang Li
- Yong Li
- Minglun Li
- Ming Liu
- Xianhe Wang
- Fengjun Cao
- Xuanbin Wang

PubMed: 31616288
DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2019.00927

Study Design

Type: Review
Methods: screened the literature from 2007 to 2017 in different online databases, including China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chongqing VIP, Wanfang, and PubMed; summarized the effectiveness of CMs in preventing and treating RIPI; explored the most frequently used drugs

Thoracic radiotherapy is a mainstay of the treatment for lung, esophageal, and breast cancers. Radiation-induced pulmonary injury (RIPI) is a common side effect of thoracic radiotherapy, which may limit the radiotherapy dose and compromise the treatment results. However, the current strategies for RIPI are not satisfactory and may induce other side effects. Chinese medicines (CMs) have been used for more than a thousand years to treat a wide range of diseases, including lung disorders. In this review, we screened the literature from 2007 to 2017 in different online databases, including China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chongqing VIP, Wanfang, and PubMed; summarized the effectiveness of CMs in preventing and treating RIPI; explored the most frequently used drugs; and aimed to provide insights into potential CMs for RIPI. Altogether, CMs attenuated the risk of RIPI with an occurrence rate of 11.37% vs. 27.78% (P < 0.001) compared with the control groups. We also found that CMs (alone and combined with Western medical treatment) for treating RIPI exerted a higher efficacy rate than that of the control groups (78.33% vs. 28.09%, P < 0.001). In the screened literature, 38 CMs were used for the prevention and treatment of RIPI. The top five most frequently used CMs were Astragali Radix (with a frequency of 8.47%), Ophiopogonis Radix (with a frequency of 6.78%), Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizome (with a frequency of 5.08%), Paeoniae Radix Rubra (with a frequency of 5.08%), and Prunellae Spica (with a frequency of 5.08%). However, further high-quality investigations in CM source, pharmacological effects and underlying mechanisms, toxicological aspects, and ethical issues are warranted. Taken together, CMs might have a potential role in RIPI prevention and treatment and still have a long way to investigate.

Research Insights

Astragalus→Improved Treatment Efficacy for Radiation-Induced Pulmonary Injury
The top five most frequently used CMs were ... Paeoniae Radix Rubra (with a frequency of 5.08%)...CMs (alone and combined with Western medical treatment) for treating RIPI exerted a higher efficacy rate than that of the control groups (78.33% vs. 28.09%, P < 0.001).
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Large
Astragalus→Reduced Radiation-Induced Pulmonary Injury
The top five most frequently used CMs were ... Paeoniae Radix Rubra (with a frequency of 5.08%)...CMs attenuated the risk of RIPI with an occurrence rate of 11.37% vs. 27.78% (P < 0.001) compared with the control groups.
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Moderate
Ophiopogon→Improved Treatment Efficacy for Radiation-Induced Pulmonary Injury
The top five most frequently used CMs were ... Paeoniae Radix Rubra (with a frequency of 5.08%)...CMs (alone and combined with Western medical treatment) for treating RIPI exerted a higher efficacy rate than that of the control groups (78.33% vs. 28.09%, P < 0.001).
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Large
Ophiopogon→Reduced Radiation-Induced Pulmonary Injury
The top five most frequently used CMs were ... Paeoniae Radix Rubra (with a frequency of 5.08%)...CMs attenuated the risk of RIPI with an occurrence rate of 11.37% vs. 27.78% (P < 0.001) compared with the control groups.
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Moderate
Red Peony→Improved Treatment Efficacy for Radiation-Induced Pulmonary Injury
The top five most frequently used CMs were ... Paeoniae Radix Rubra (with a frequency of 5.08%)...CMs (alone and combined with Western medical treatment) for treating RIPI exerted a higher efficacy rate than that of the control groups (78.33% vs. 28.09%, P < 0.001).
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Large
Red Peony→Reduced Radiation-Induced Pulmonary Injury
The top five most frequently used CMs were ... Paeoniae Radix Rubra (with a frequency of 5.08%)...CMs attenuated the risk of RIPI with an occurrence rate of 11.37% vs. 27.78% (P < 0.001) compared with the control groups.
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Moderate