sign in sign up
<<
Home , Cyproterone acetate

The journal of Dermatology Vol. 21: 729-731, 1994

Nodulocystic : Oral Gugulipid versus

Devinder M. Thappa and Jaideep Dogra

Abstract Twenty patients with nodulocystic acne were randomly allocated to one of two treatment schedules: 1)Tetracycline 500 mg or 2) Tab. Gugulipid (equivalent to 25 mg ). Both were taken twice daily for 3 months, and both produced a progressive reduction in the lesions in the majority of patients. With tetracycline, the percentage reduction in the inflammatory lesions was 65.2% as compared to 68% with gugulipid; on comparison, this difference was statistically insignificant (P>0.05). Follow-up at 3 months showed a relapse in 4 cases on tetracyline and 2 cases on gugulipid. An interesting observation was that the patients with oily faces responded remarkably better to gugulipid. Key words: nodulocystic acne; tetracycline; gugulipid

acne (10). Recently, gugulipid has been found Introduction to be useful in the treatment of moderate to Acne vulgaris is a self limited, multifactorial severe acne (11). This drug (Tab. Guglip, Cipla involving the sebaceous follicles. A India Ltd.), is a standardized extract of the prerequisite for the development of acne is oleoresin of Commiphora mukul, an Indian active sebaceous glands (1); the level of their medicinal plant. The active ingredients of sebum secretion correlates with the severity of gugulipid are mainly guggulsterones (Z and E). the acne (2, 3). Sebum, which consists of a Gugulipid is an effective hypolipidemic agent mixture of squalene, wax and sterol esters, (12-14) in patients with hyperlipidemia. Gugu­ cholesterol, polar lipids, and triglycerides (4), lipid also exhibits a marked antilipolytic activity plays a key role in the genesis of this disorder. in rats (14) and, probably due to this later Sebum and its breakdown products may be in­ effect, reduces the secretion of sebum and volved in ductal hypercornification and growth inhibits the lipolysis of triglycerides by bac­ of bacteria, resulting in acne and its sequel terial lipases to free fatty acids which induce (5,6). Various effective antiacne therapies, both acne (11). topical (, tetracycline) and Considering the above, we decided to under­ systemic (tetracycline and its derivatives, cypro­ take this comparative trial of systemic tetra­ terone acetate, ), bring about quan­ cycline and oral gugulipid in treating nodulo­ titative and/or qualitative changes in the seba­ cystic acne. ceous secretions (7-10). Isotretinoin, a deriva­ tive of Vitamin A, is a unique drug which has Materials and Methods an inhibitory effect on sebum secretion (9) and Twenty patients (aged 16 to 25 years; sex ratio is particularly useful in severe nodulocystic of male to female was 1:4) with nodulocystic acne were randomly allocated to one of two treatment Received january 6, 1994; accepted for publication schedules: 1) Tetracycline 500 mg or 2) Tab. june 15, 1994. Gugulipid (25 mg guggulsterone), twice a day for Department of Dermatology, Polyclinic, C.G.H.S., Bajaj 3 months. No was prescribed. Nagar,jaipur-302015, India. Reprint requests to: Dr. D.M. Thappa, Department of Hemoglobin, total and differential leukocytecounts, Dermatology, Polyclinic, C.G.H.S., Bajaj Nagar, jaipur­ erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and kidney 302015, India. function tests, analyses, and lipid profiles 730 Thappa and Dogra

Table I. Comparative efficacy of two regimes Table 2. Number ofpatients in three percentage groups Percentage reduction of lesions Treatment Inflammatory Noninflammatory No. of patients showing reduction regime lesions lesions in the percentage of inflammatory Treatment lesions A Tetracycline 65.2% 10.5% regime B Gugulipid 68.0% 11.8% 90-100% 50-90% 50% Total (Excellent) (Good) (Poor) A Tetracycline 2 6 2 10 were done before and after the completion of B Gugulipid 3 7 0 10 treatment. There was no incidence of hyperlipi­ demia in our study groups. Patients were evaluated by the same observer at 2 preferred antibiotic; it is postulated to alter the week intervals by counting the lesions. The criterion composition of the surface lipids, decreasing for effectiveness of the treatment was significant the fatty acids and cholesterol, and increasing reduction in the number ofinflammatory lesions at the triglycerides by direct inhibition of extra the end of 3 months. The improvement was graded cellular lipases (18). This prompted us to com­ into three categories: excellent, good, and poor, pare tetracycline with gugulipid for treating according to the percentage reduction in the nodulocystic acne. Gugulipid was found to be lesions. The response to this treatment schedule slightly superior in its efficacy to tetracycline, was statistically analysed using Students t-test, but this difference was not statistically signifi­ cant (p>O.05). An interesting observation was Results that patients with oily faces responded remark­ Both regimes produced a progressive re­ ably better to gugulipid, thus supporting our duction in the number oflesions in a majority argument for oral use of gugulipid in nodulo­ of the patients. The inflammatory lesions cystic acne. (papules, pustules, nodules, cystic lesions) re­ The recent introduction of isotretinoin sponded better than did the noninflammatory (l3-cisretinoic acid) for the treatment ofsevere, (comedones) lesions (Table 1). With tetra­ recalcitrant nodulocystic acne has been one of cycline, the percentage reduction in inflamma­ the most dramatic advances in acne therapy, tory lesions was 65.2%; with gugulipid, it was but has significant side effects (19). Moreover, 68%. The gradewise data are shown in Table 2; it is an expensive drug which is not always on comparison, the difference between the two available in the third world countries. Under groups was not statistically significant (p>O.05). these circumstances, gugulipid may be con­ No major side effects were noted with either sidered an alternative medicine for the man­ drug. There was no significant alteration in agement ofnodulocystic acne. Thus, in conclu­ lipid profile in our patient groups. Follow-up at sion, gugulipid has an encouraging potential 3 months showed a relapse in 4 cases who had with practically no major side effects for treat­ taken tetracycline and 2 cases who had taken ing nodulocystic acne patients in developing gugulipid. An intriguing observation was that countries. patients with cystic acne lesions on an oily face responded better to gugulipid than tetracycline. References 1) Pochi PE, Strauss 1S: Sebum production, casual Discussion sebum levels, titrable acidity of sebum and urinary Oral broad spectrum antibiotics have an fractional 17 ketosteroid in males with important role in the treatment of inflamma­ acne,]InvestDermatol, 43: 383-388, 1964. 2) Cunliffe \\J, Shuster S: Pathogenesis of acne, Lancet, tory acne. Extensive clinical experience has i: 685-687, 1969. confirmed the safety and efficacy oftheir long 3) Burton 1L, Shuster S: The relationship between term administration (15-17). Tetracycline is the seborrhoea and acne vulgaris, Br ] Dermatol, 84: Acne: Gugulipid \'5 Tetracycline 731

600-60I, 1971. 56: 381-383, 1990. 4) Downing DT, StraussJS, Pochi PE: Variability in the 12) Malhotra SC, Ahuja MMS: Comparative hypolipi­ chemical composition of human skin surface lipids, demic effectiveness ofgum gugulu, Fraction A, CPLB, J Invest Dermatol, 53: 322-327, 1969. Ciba, 13437 Su, IndJ Med Res, 59: 1621-1631,1971. 5) Kellum RL, Strangfeld KE: Acne vulgaris: Studies in 13) Gopal K,Saran RK, Nityanand S, et al: of pathogenesis. Fatty acids of human surface tri­ ethyl acetate extract of gum gugulu (Gugulipid) in glycerides from patients with and without acne, J primary hyperlipidemia,]API, 34: 249-251, 1986. InvestDermatol, 58: 315-318, 1972. 14) Anonymous: Cugulipid, Drugs of the Future, 13: 6) Morello AM, Downing DT, Strauss JS: Octadeca­ 618-619,1988. dienoic acids in the skin surface lipids of acne 15) Andrews CG, Domonks HS, Post CF: Treatment of patient and normal subjects, J Invest Dermatol, 66: acne vulgaris,]AMA, 146: 1107, 1951. 319-323,1976. 16) Strauss jS: Antibiotic therapy of acne vulgaris, Arch 7) Cunliffe \\]: Evolution ofa strategy for the treatment Dermatol, 111: 1563,1975. of acne,]Am Acad Dermatol, 16: 591-599, 1987. 17) Juhlin L, Linden S: A quantitative evaluation of the 8) Ekoe j, Burckhardt P, Ruedi S: Treatment of hirsu­ effects of oxytetracycline and doxycycline in acne tism, acne, and alopecia with acetate, vulgaris, BrJ Dermatol, 81: 154-158,1969. Dermatologica, 160: 398-404, 1980. 18) Ebling FjG, Rook A:The sebaceous gland, in Rook A, 9) Jones H, Blanc D, Cunliffe \\]: 13-cis-retinoic acid Wilkinson DS, Ebling FjG (eds): Text Book of Der­ and acne, Lancet, 2: 1048,1980. matology, 3rd ed, Vol. 2, CBS Publishers & Distribu­ 10) Winston MH, Shalita AR: Acne vulgaris, Pathogenesis tors, Delhi, 1986, p 1722. and treatment, PedClin North Am, 38: 889-903, 1991. 19) Farrel ILN, StraussjS, Stranieri AM: The treatment of 11) DograJ, Aneja N, Saxena VN: Oral gugulipid in acne severe cystic acne with 13-cis-retinoic acid,] Am Acad vulgaris management, IndJ Dermatol Venereal Leprol, Dermatol, 3: 602, 1980.