Red sage contains compounds with antifibrotic activity that may prove useful in the treatment of systemic sclerosis. - GreenMedInfo Summary

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of tanshinone IIA, danshensu, lithospermate, and protocatechualdehyde on proliferation and procollagen mRNA synthesis of dermal fibroblasts from patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). METHODS: Dermal fibroblasts were obtained from 5 patients with SSc, 2 males and 3 females, and sex and age-matched 5 patients undergoing plastic surgery, cultured, and then co-cultured with tanshinone IIA, danshensu, lithospermate, and protocatechualdehyde respectively. MTT test was used to study the effects of the four constituents on fibroblasts cell proliferation. RT-PCR was used to detect the level of procollagen mRNA expression in the control fibroblasts and in the SSc fibroblasts before and after the addition of the four constituents. RESULTS: The 4 constituents all suppressed the proliferation of fibroblasts from SSc patients, with tanshinone IIA being the most effective. The 4 constituents remarkably inhibited the mRNA expression of type I and III procollagen of the fibroblasts with tanshinone II A showing the most inhibition effect that reduced the expressions of procollagen I mRNA by 47% and procollagen III mRNA by 45%. CONCLUSION: Of the four constituents, tanshinone IIA is the most suppressive effect on the cell proliferation and type I and type III procollagen synthesis of SSc fibroblasts, demonstrating that it has a more antifibrotic effect.