Danggui-Tangkuei-Rx Angelicae sinensis in menopause

[Guest guest]

Hi Dr. Terry

 

> I'm looking for good studies on Dang Gui showing relieve of

> menopausal symptoms, preferably translated into English--but

> ANYTHING positive will do! Any info is greatly appreciated! H

 

Here are 5 hits from Medline; unfortunately the results in some of

these are not what we would like!:

 

1: Int J Gynaecol Obstet 2002 Dec;79(3):195-207 Use of alternative

and complementary medicine in menopause. Kang HJ, Ansbacher

R, Hammoud MM. Division of Reproduction Endocrinology and

Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of

Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA. OBJECTIVES: To

review the clinical evidence available for the treatment of

menopausal symptoms with alternative and complementary

medicine. METHODS: The MEDLINE, PREMEDLINE and

COCHRANE electronic databases for the years 1980-2002 were

searched for articles concerning soy products, black cohosh, dong

quai, acupuncture, ginseng and evening primrose oil. Studies

pertaining to menopausal vasomotor symptoms, lipid profiles and

bone mineral densities of postmenopausal women were included.

The data from clinical trials were reviewed. RESULTS: Soy

isoflavones slightly decrease total cholesterol and LDL levels. The

clinical significance of this small change is yet to be determined.

The synthetic isoflavone derivative ipriflavone increases bone

mineral density in healthy peri- and postmenopausal women with

moderate bone mineral densities. Although earlier reports have

claimed that soy is beneficial for the improvement of vasomotor

symptoms, recent data do not support this claim. There are

insufficient data on the other alternative therapies for treating

menopausal symptoms at this time. CONCLUSION: Alternative

and complementary medicine may play a role in the management

of menopause, however, well-designed large studies are still

needed. Publication Types: Review Review, Tutorial PMID:

12445983 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

 

2: Am J Med Sci 2002 Oct;324(4):185-8 Phytoestrogens: a viable

option? Russell L, Hicks GS, Low AK, Shepherd JM, Brown CA.

Department of Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center,

Jackson 39216-4505, USA. lrussell

Estrogen replacement therapy is one of the most commonly

prescribed medicines in the United States by traditional medical

professionals. Over the past decade, the market for

complementary/ alternative therapies for hormone replacement has

dramatically increased. Women are seeking more " natural "

alternatives to treat menopausal symptoms. Well-designed

randomized clinical trials are often lacking, as is the information on

efficacy and safety. This article will review several popular herbal

therapies for menopausal symptoms including phytoestrogens,

black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa), dong quai (Angelica

sinensis), chast tree (Vitex agnus-castus), and wild Mexican yam.

Their use, mechanism of action, and adverse effects are outlined.

Publication Types: Review Review, Tutorial PMID: 12385490

[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

 

3: Menopause 2002 Mar-Apr;9(2):145-50 Estrogenic activity of

herbs commonly used as remedies for menopausal symptoms.

Amato P, Christophe S, Mellon PL. Department of Obstetrics &

Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030,

USA. pamato OBJECTIVE: Women are

increasingly turning to herbal therapies in an effort to manage their

menopausal symptoms. In this study, we investigate the

estrogenic activity of four selected herbs commonly used in

menopause, namely dong quai, ginseng, black cohosh, and

licorice root. DESIGN: We investigated the effect of these selected

herbs on cell proliferation of MCF-7 cells, a human breast cancer

cell line. We also assessed their estrogenic activity in a transient

gene expression assay system using HeLa cells co-transfected

with an estrogen-dependent reporter plasmid in the presence of

human estrogen receptor ER alpha or ER beta cDNA. Finally, we

investigated the estrogenic activity of these herbs using a bioassay

in mice. RESULTS: Dong quai and ginseng both significantly

induced the growth of MCF-7 cells by 16- and 27-fold, respectively,

over that of untreated control cells, while black cohosh and licorice

root did not. The herbs tested failed to show transactivation of

either hER alpha or hER beta and had no effect on uterine weight in

vivo when administered orally to mice for a period of 4 days.

CONCLUSIONS: Our studies show that dong quai and ginseng

stimulate the growth of MCF-7 cells independent of estrogenic

activity. Because of the lack of efficacy and the potential for

adverse effects, use of these herbs in humans warrants caution

pending further study. PMID: 11875334 [PubMed - indexed for

MEDLINE]

 

4: Pharmacotherapy 1999 Jul;19(7):870-6 Potentiation of warfarin

by dong quai. Page RL 2nd, Lawrence JD. Department of

Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy, University of Colorado

Health Sciences Center, Denver 80262, USA. Dong quai is a

Chinese herbal supplement touted for treatment of menstrual

cramping, irregular menses, and menopausal symptoms.

Phytochemical analyses found it to consist of natural coumarin

derivatives, as well as constituents possessing antithrombotic,

antiarrhythmic, phototoxic, and carcinogenic effects. A 46-year-old

African-American woman with atrial fibrillation stabilized on warfarin

experienced a greater than 2-fold elevation in prothrombin time and

international normalized ratio after taking dong quai concurrently for

4 weeks. No identifiable cause was ascertained for the increase

except dong quai. The patient's coagulation values returned to

acceptable levels 1 month after discontinuing the herb. One animal

study suggests a pharmacodynamic interaction between the

product and warfarin, but the true mechanism remains unknown.

Practitioners should be aware of the possibility of such an

interaction and should inform patients of potential hazards of taking

the two together. PMID: 10417036 [PubMed - indexed for

MEDLINE]

 

5: Fertil Steril 1997 Dec;68(6):981-6 Does dong quai have

estrogenic effects in postmenopausal women? A double-blind,

placebo-controlled trial. Hirata JD, Swiersz LM, Zell B, Small R,

Ettinger B. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kaiser

Permanente Medical Center, Oakland, California, USA.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate possible estrogenic effects of dong quai

on vaginal cells and on endometrial thickness in postmenopausal

women. DESIGN: Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled

clinical trial. SETTING: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

in a large health maintenance organization (HMO). PATIENT(S):

Seventy-one postmenopausal women (mean age [+/- SD], 52.4 +/-

6 years) who had follicle-stimulating hormone levels (third-

generation assay) of > 30 mIU/mL with hot flashes.

INTERVENTION(S): Subjects were randomized to treatment with

either dong quai or placebo for 24 weeks. MAIN OUTCOME

MEASURE(S): Endometrial thickness was measured by

transvaginal ultrasonography; vaginal cells were evaluated for

cellular maturation; menopausal symptoms were evaluated by

reviewing the Kupperman index and the diary of vasomotor flushes.

RESULT(S): We observed no statistically significant differences

between groups in endometrial thickness, in vaginal maturation

index, in number of vasomotor flushes, or in the Kupperman index.

CONCLUSION(S): Used alone, dong quai does not produce

estrogen-like responses in endometrial thickness or in vaginal

maturation and was no more helpful than placebo in relieving

menopausal symptoms. Publication Types: Clinical Trial

Randomized Controlled Trial PMID: 9418683 [PubMed - indexed for

MEDLINE]

 

Best regards,

 

 

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