Disease relevance of Icariin

• Icariin significantly reduced the level of glutamic pyruvic transaminase and sorbitol dehydrogenase released resulting in a 76% protection from toxicity at concentration ranges from 1 microM to 20 microM [1].
• However, icariin (the major compound of E. sagittatum) showed no inhibition of either the hepatoma or leukaemia cell lines [2].
• Protective effects of icariin on neurons injured by cerebral ischemia/reperfusion [3].
• Estrogenic effects of two derivatives of icariin on human breast cancer MCF-7 cells [4].
• In this study, we observed the protective effects of icariin on neurons injured by ischemia/reperfusion in vitro and in vivo and investigated its protective mechanism [3].

Psychiatry related information on Icariin

• AIM: To clarify the mechanism of the therapeutic action of icariin on erectile dysfunction (ED) [5].

High impact information on Icariin

• This fact reveals that, by the view of kinetics, icariin is an antioxidant with much higher effectiveness [6].
• Results showed p53 to be an important regulator in the differentiation in embryonic stem cells treated with 10(-7) M icariin, controlling or adjusting the balance between differentiated cells and cells undergoing apoptosis [7].
• A marked increase in apoptosis rate was observed 48 h after icariin treatment [7].
• The aim of this study was to investigate the possible inducible effects and to clarify the modulation by icariin of cell cycle and p53 expression in the differentiation of embryonic stem cells into cardiomyocytes in vitro [7].
• Flow cytometry revealed that 10(-7) M icariin treatment for 48 h significantly induced the accumulation of cells in G0/G1 and reduced the proportion of cells in S phase [7].

Biological context of Icariin

• Icariin-mediated modulation of cell cycle and p53 during cardiomyocyte differentiation in embryonic stem cells [7].
• Cytotoxic effects of Coptis chinensis and Epimedium sagittatum extracts and their major constituents (berberine, coptisine and icariin) on hepatoma and leukaemia cell growth [2].
• The effect of Icariin on the proliferation and osteogenesis of OB was monitored by MTT analysis [8].
• The present study indicated that the aphrodisiac mechanisms of icariin involved the NO-cGMP signal transduction pathway, with increasing cGMP levels in the corpus cavernosum smooth muscle [9].
• Treatment of ES cells with icariin resulted in a continued elevation in the cAMP/cGMP ratio before a shift to the cardiomyocyte phenotype (P<0.05) [10].

Anatomical context of Icariin

• In conclusion, icariin at 10(-7) M facilitated the directional differentiation of embryonic stem cells into cardiomyocytes [7].
• The antihepatotoxic activity of icariin was also estimated by the determination of total cytochrome P-450 content and glutathione-S-transferase activity in the CCl4-intoxicated hepatocytes [1].
• The antioxidative effect of icariin in human erythrocytes against free-radical-induced haemolysis [11].
• Icariin was able to enhance cGMP levels in SNP-treated cavernous smooth muscle cells [12].
• The results suggested that E. brevicornum Maxim. extracts might have potential activity against osteoporosis, and flavonoids such as icariin might be the active constituents stimulating osteoblasts [13].

Associations of Icariin with other chemical compounds

• Icariin: a special antioxidant to protect linoleic acid against free-radical-induced peroxidation in micelles [6].
• Effects of icariin on phosphodiesterase-5 activity in vitro and cyclic guanosine monophosphate level in cavernous smooth muscle cells [12].
• RESULTS: Icariin and papaverine showed dose-dependent inhibitory effects on PDE5 and PDE4 activities [5].
• Cavernous smooth muscle cells were isolated from 3-month-old rats, treated with icariin (100 and 200 muM) or zaprinast (200 muM) for 15 minutes, and then with 10 muM SNP for 30, 60, 120, 240, and 360 minutes [12].
• Aminoguanidine (AG) was used to confirm the influence of icariin on the endogenous NO signal pathway [10].

Gene context of Icariin

• RESULTS: Icariin significantly elevated mRNA levels of cardiac transcription factors GATA4 and Nkx2.5, and cardiac-specific alpha-MHC, MLC-2v and beta-AR genes in a concentration- and time-dependent manner (P<0.05) [10].
• The experimental results demonstrate that icariin, isolated from Herba epimedii, was a strong agonist for NMU2R, which could selectively activate NMU2R, but not M1R, MC4R, and negative cell lines [14].
• Effects of icariin on cGMP-specific PDE5 and cAMP-specific PDE4 activities [5].
• The inhibitory effects of icariin on PDE5 and PDE4 activities were investigated by the two-step radioisotope procedure with [(3)H]-cGMP/[(3)H]-cAMP [5].
• (2) Icariin treatment also improved the steady-state serum BGP and might have promoted bone formation [15].

Analytical, diagnostic and therapeutic context of Icariin

• Icariin resulted in significantly increased expressions of p53 mRNA and protein, as determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis [7].
• Determination of icariin in Chinese traditional medicine by capillary zone electrophoresis [16].
• METHODS: Forty-eight healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats at the age of 15 months were randomly divided into four groups with 12 rats each: the control group (C), the model group (M), the icariin group (ICA) and the testosterone group (T) [15].

References