A Review of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Therapies on Muscular Atrophy: A Literature Review of In Vivo/In Vitro Studies

Table 4

Summary of articles on complementary and alternative medicine therapies for muscular atrophy (in vitro).

Authors	Design	Origin	Group / Sample-Size (n)	Sample Model	Duration	Outcome Measures	Quantity and Type of Intervention	Main Outcomes
Lu L; 2013 [41]	In vitro	China	Control; DEX; DEX + APS; APS	Dexamethasone (DEX) or peroxide-induced atrophy C2C12 cells	24 h	(1) Myotube diameter; (2) Akt/mTOR activation; (3) PTP1B expression and activity; (4) Myoblasts proliferation; (5) Anti-apoptosis; (6) Apoptosis related protein expression	0.2 mg/mL Astragalus polysaccharide (APS)	(1) Muscle fiber diameter: DEX + APS > DEX (p<0.05); (2) p-Akt↑, p-P70s6k↑, p-mTOR↑, p-rpS6↑ (p<0.05 vs. DEX); (3) PTP1B expression & activity: DEX > DEX + APS (p<0.05); (4) Proliferation rate: 50 μg/mL < 0.1 mg/mL < 0.2 mg/mL (p<0.05 vs. Control (Con)); (5) Apoptotic cells: H2O2 > H2O2 + APS (p<0.05); (6) Caspase-8, Caspase-3: H2O2 > H2O2 + APS; Bcl-2: H2O2 < H2O2 + APS (p<0.05); Bax: H2O2 > H2O2 + APS (p<0.05)
Jung MH 2010 [42]	In vitro	Korea	Control; H2O2 + IDS 1 μM; H2O2 + IDS 5 μM; H2O2 + IDS 10 μM; H2O2 + IDS 25 μM; H2O2 + NAC 5 mм	C2C12 cell-cultured with H2O2; (0.1, 0.5, 1, 2, 4 mм)	24 h	(1) Antioxidant effects; (2) HSP70 expression	Pre-treatment with Idesolide: cultured for 24 hr with 1, 5, 10, 25 μм idesolide or without idesolide	(1) Cell viability: Con < IDS 1μм < 25 μм < 5 μм < 10 μм (p<0.001 vs. Con); Con < NAC 5 mм < IDS 25 μм (p<0.001 vs. Con); (2) HSP70: H2O2 < H2O2 + IDS (p<0.001)
Takeda T 2015 [43]	In vitro	Japan	Control; HJG 1 μg/mL; HJG 10 μg/mL; HJG 50 μg/mL; HJG 100 μg/mL; HJG 200 μg/mL	C2C12 myoblasts (untreated)	3 d	(1) Cell proliferation; (2) ERK1/2 phosphorylation; (3) Akt activity; (4) Differentiation of cells	Hachimijiogan (HJG): 1~200 μg/mL for 3 d	(1) Cell number: HJG (1, 10, 50, 100, 200) > Control (p<0.05); (2) ERK1/2 activity: HJG200 > Control (2.89 fold, p<0.0001); (3) Akt activity: Not significant; (4) Cell differentiation: Not significant
Jung MH; 2011 [44]	In vitro	Korea	Untreated; H2O2; H2O2 + Sau 10; H2O2 + Sau 25; H2O2 + Sau 50; H2O2 + NAC	H2O2 treated C2C12 cell	24 h	(1) Cell viability; (2) HSP expression; (3) Ceramide content	Sauchinone (Sau): cultured for 24 hr with 10, 25, 50 μM; positive control: N-acetyl cysteine (NAC)	(1) Cell viability: H2O2 + Sau > H2O2 + NAC > H2O2 (p<0.01); (2) HSP 70 expression: H2O2 + Sau > H2O2 (p<0.01); (3) Ceramide: H2O2 > H2O2 + Sau (p<0.01)
Chen D; 2016 [45]	In vitro	China	Control; TNF-α; TNF-α + ED 5 μM; TNF-α + ED 10 μM; TNF-α + ED 20 μM	TNF-α-induced apoptosis and autophagy C2C12 myoblast	24 h	(1) Anti-apoptosis; (2) Mitochondrial pathway; (3) Autophagy; (4) p-Akt activation	Emodin (ED): component of Rheum palmatum 5, 10, 20 μM	(1) Apoptotic cells: TNF > TNF + ED20 > TNF + ED10 (p<0.05); (2) Bcl-2/Bax↑, cleaved-caspase 3↓, cleaved-PARP↓ (p<0.05); (3) LC3↓, Beclin-1↓, Atg7↓ (p<0.05 vs. TNF); (4) p-Akt↑ (p<0.05 vs. TNF)
Kang YS; 2015 [46]	In vitro	Korea	Control; SF 100; SF 200; AICAR; AICAR + SF100; AICAR + SF200	AICAR-induced muscle atrophy C2C12 myotubes	2 d	(1) Myoblast differentiation; (2) Muscle atrophy markers	Schisandrae fructus (SF): Extract of the fruits of Schisandra chinensis Bailon; 100, 200 μg/mL	(1) Myosin-heavy-chain↑, Myogenin↑; (2) FoxO3a, MuRF-1. AMPK↓: AICAR > AICAR + SF100 > AICAR + SF200
Choe YH 2015 [47]	In vitro	Korea	Normal; H2O2; ISO; H2O2 + ISO	H2O2 (1 mM) treated C2C12 cell	24 h	(1) Anti-oxidative stress effect; (2) Anti-apoptosis; (3) ROS marker; (4) Bcl-2, Bax level; (5) Caspase activity; (6) Nrf2/HO-1	Isorhamnetin (ISO): a flavonoid derived from Hippophae rhamnoides L.; 30 μM	(1) Cell viability: H2O2 < H2O2 + ISO; (2) Anti-apoptosis: H2O2 < H2O2 + ISO; (3) ROS: H2O2 > H2O2 + ISO (inhibit 64% vs. H2O2); (4) Bcl-2↑, Bax↓; (5) Caspase-9, Caspase-3: H2O2 > H2O2 + ISO (p<0.05); (6) Nrf2↑, HO-1↑
Li F 2017 [48]	In vitro	China	CON; SF; Rg1 10^−4; Rg1 10^−3; Rg1 10^−2; Rg1 10^−1	Starvation induced muscle protein degradation C2C12 myoblast	48h	(1) Atrogin-1 and MuRF-1 expression; (2) PI3K-dependent phosphorylation of AKT, FoxO and mTOR	SF: Serum-free medium for 48h incubation (Starvation induced); Rg1: Ginsenoside Rg1 10^−4, 10^−3, 10^−2 and 10^−1 mM. incubate for 48h	(1) Atrogin-1: SF > Rg1 10^−1 > Rg1 10^−4 > Rg1 10^−3 > Rg1 10^−2 (p<0.05 vs. SF); MuRF-1: SF > Rg1 10^−4 > Rg1 10^−3 > Rg1 10^−2 (p<0.05 vs. SF); (2) p-FoxO1↑, p-FoxO3a↑, p-Akt↑, p-mTOR↑ (p<0.05)