Promising Natural Medicines for the Treatment of High-Altitude Illness

Overview

Journal High Alt Med Biol

Specialties Biology
General Medicine

Date 2023 Jul 28

PMID 37504973

Authors

Li Li

Lin Lin

Bo Wen

Peng-Cheng Zhao

Da-Sheng Liu

Guo-Ming Pang

Zi-Rong Wang

Yong Tan

Cheng Lu

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Li Li, Lin Lin, Bo Wen, Peng-cheng Zhao, Da-sheng Liu, Guo-ming Pang, Zi-rong Wang, Yong Tan, and Cheng Lu. Promising natural medicines for the treatment of high-altitude illness. . 24:175-185, 2023.-High-altitude illness (HAI) is a dangerous disease characterized by oxidative stress, inflammatory damage and hemodynamic changes in the body that can lead to severe damage to the lungs, heart, and brain. Natural medicines are widely known for their multiple active ingredients and pharmacological effects, which may be important in the treatment of HAI. In this review, we outline the specific types of HAI and the underlying pathological mechanisms and summarize the currently documented natural medicines applied in the treatment of acute mountain sickness and high-altitude cerebral edema, high-altitude pulmonary edema, chronic mountain sickness, and high-altitude pulmonary hypertension. Their sources, types, and medicinal sites are summarized, and their active ingredients, pharmacological effects, related mechanisms, and potential toxicity are discussed. In conclusion, natural medicines, as an acceptable complementary and alternative strategy with fewer side effects and more long-term application, can provide a reference for developing more natural antialtitude sickness medicines in the future and have good application prospects in HAI treatment.

References

Yu Z, Jin W, Dong X, Ao M, Liu H, Yu L . Safety evaluation and protective effects of ethanolic extract from maca (Lepidium meyenii Walp.) against corticosterone and HO induced neurotoxicity. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol. 2019; 111:104570. DOI: 10.1016/j.yrtph.2019.104570. View

Yang Y, Wang Z, Gao S, Ren H, Zhong R, Chen W . The effects of Salvia przewalskii total phenolic acid extract on immune complex glomerulonephritis. Pharm Biol. 2017; 55(1):2153-2160. PMC: 6130473. DOI: 10.1080/13880209.2017.1383486. View

Cui Y, Xin H, Tao Y, Mei L, Wang Z . Arenaria kansuensis attenuates pulmonary fibrosis in mice via the activation of Nrf2 pathway and the inhibition of NF-kB/TGF-beta1/Smad2/3 pathway. Phytother Res. 2020; 35(2):974-986. DOI: 10.1002/ptr.6857. View

Kosanovic D, Tian X, Pak O, Lai Y, Hsieh Y, Seimetz M . Rhodiola: an ordinary plant or a promising future therapy for pulmonary hypertension? a brief review. Pulm Circ. 2014; 3(3):499-506. PMC: 4070792. DOI: 10.1086/674303. View

Di Ciaccio L, Spotorno V, Cordoba Estevez M, Rios D, Fortunato R, Salvat A . Antifungal activity of Parastrephia quadrangularis (Meyen) Cabrera extracts against Fusarium verticillioides. Lett Appl Microbiol. 2018; 66(3):244-251. DOI: 10.1111/lam.12844. View

Paul S, Geng C, Yang T, Yang Y, Chen J . Phytochemical and Health-Beneficial Progress of Turnip (Brassica rapa). J Food Sci. 2018; 84(1):19-30. DOI: 10.1111/1750-3841.14417. View

Cui Y, Shen N, Dang J, Mei L, Tao Y, Liu Z . Anti-inflammatory bioactive equivalence of combinatorial components β-carboline alkaloids identified in Arenaria kansuensis by two-dimensional chromatography and solid-phase extraction coupled with liquid-liquid extraction enrichment technology. J Sep Sci. 2017; 40(14):2895-2905. DOI: 10.1002/jssc.201700144. View

Yue T, Xiaosa W, Ruirui Q, Wencai S, Hailiang X, Min L . The Effects of Portulaca oleracea on Hypoxia-Induced Pulmonary Edema in Mice. High Alt Med Biol. 2015; 16(1):43-51. PMC: 4376287. DOI: 10.1089/ham.2013.1081. View

Biondich A, Joslin J . Coca: The History and Medical Significance of an Ancient Andean Tradition. Emerg Med Int. 2016; 2016:4048764. PMC: 4838786. DOI: 10.1155/2016/4048764. View

10.

da Silva Leitao Peres N, Cabrera Parra Bortoluzzi L, Marques L, Formigoni M, Fuchs R, Droval A . Medicinal effects of Peruvian maca (Lepidium meyenii): a review. Food Funct. 2020; 11(1):83-92. DOI: 10.1039/c9fo02732g. View

11.

Baradaran Rahimi V, Rakhshandeh H, Raucci F, Buono B, Shirazinia R, Samzadeh Kermani A . Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Oxidant Activity of Extract on LPS-Induced Rat Lung Injury. Molecules. 2019; 24(1). PMC: 6337267. DOI: 10.3390/molecules24010139. View

12.

Hua H, Zhang W, Li J, Li J, Liu C, Guo Y . Neuroprotection against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion by dietary phytochemical extracts from Tibetan turnip (Brassica rapa L.). J Ethnopharmacol. 2020; 265:113410. DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2020.113410. View

13.

Peng Y, Cui C, He Y, Ouzhuluobu , Zhang H, Yang D . Down-Regulation of EPAS1 Transcription and Genetic Adaptation of Tibetans to High-Altitude Hypoxia. Mol Biol Evol. 2017; 34(4):818-830. PMC: 5400376. DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msw280. View

14.

Meier D, Collet T, Locatelli I, Cornuz J, Kayser B, Simel D . Does This Patient Have Acute Mountain Sickness?: The Rational Clinical Examination Systematic Review. JAMA. 2017; 318(18):1810-1819. DOI: 10.1001/jama.2017.16192. View

15.

Wang Y, Duo D, Yan Y, He R, Wang S, Wang A . Extract of Salvia przewalskii Repair Tissue Damage in Chronic Hypoxia Maybe through the RhoA-ROCK Signalling Pathway. Biol Pharm Bull. 2019; 43(3):432-439. DOI: 10.1248/bpb.b19-00775. View

16.

Lee J, Park J, Han J . Portulaca oleracea L. extract reduces hyperglycemia via PI3k/Akt and AMPK pathways in the skeletal muscles of C57BL/Ksj-db/db mice. J Ethnopharmacol. 2020; 260:112973. DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2020.112973. View

17.

Nersesyan A, Kundi M, Krupitza G, Barcelos G, Misik M, Wultsch G . Induction of nuclear anomalies in exfoliated buccal cells of coca chewers: results of a field study. Arch Toxicol. 2012; 87(3):529-34. DOI: 10.1007/s00204-012-0969-1. View

18.

Huang L, Yen I, Tsai W, Lee S . Suppresses High Glucose-Induced Matrix Metalloproteinase Expression and Inflammatory Responses by Inhibiting ROS-Related HMGB1-TLR4 Signaling in Endothelial Cells. Am J Chin Med. 2020; 48(1):91-105. DOI: 10.1142/S0192415X20500056. View

19.

Biondich A, Joslin J . Coca: High Altitude Remedy of the Ancient Incas. Wilderness Environ Med. 2015; 26(4):567-71. DOI: 10.1016/j.wem.2015.07.006. View

20.

Cohen-Yeshurun A, Willner D, Trembovler V, Alexandrovich A, Mechoulam R, Shohami E . N-arachidonoyl-L-serine (AraS) possesses proneurogenic properties in vitro and in vivo after traumatic brain injury. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 2013; 33(8):1242-50. PMC: 3734775. DOI: 10.1038/jcbfm.2013.75. View