Context: Inflammation after spinal cord injury (SCI) may be responsible for further neural damages and therefore inhibition of inflammatory processes may exert a neuroprotection effect.
Objectives: To assess the efficacy of some non-conventional herbal medications including sulforaphane, tanshinone IIA, and tetramethylpyrazine in reducing inflammation and compare them with a known effective anti-inflammatory agent (interleukin-10 (IL-10)).
Methods: We searched relevant articles in Ovid database, Medline (PubMed) EMBASE, Google Scholar, Cochrane, and Scopus up to June 2013. The efficacy of each treatment and study powers were compared using random effects model of meta-analysis. To our knowledge, no conflict of interest exists.
Results: Eighteen articles entered into the study. The meta-analysis revealed that exogenous IL-10 was more effective in comparison with the mentioned herbal extracts. The proposed pathways for each medication's effect on reducing the inflammation process are complex and many overlaps may exist.
Conclusion: IL-10 has a strong effect in the induction of neuroprotection and neurorecovery after SCI by multiple pathways. Tetramethylpyrazine has an acceptable influence in reducing inflammation through the up-regulation of IL-10. Outcomes of sulforaphane and tanshinone IIA administration are acceptable but still weaker than IL-10.
Keywords: Cytokines; Neuroinflammation; Pharmacology; Spinal cord.