Folium pyrrosiae ingestion has no effect on the thermodynamic or kinetic urinary risk factors for calcium oxalate urolithiasis in healthy subjects: a poor prognosis for alternative treatment in this type of stone former.

Kidney stone disease occurs throughout the world. Conservative treatments involving herbal preparations have been used in traditional Chinese medicine. In vitro studies have suggested that Folium pyrrosiae (FP) has therapeutic potential in this context. The present study was undertaken to investigate the effects of ingested FP on urinary thermodynamic and kinetic risk factors for calcium oxalate (CaOx) stone formation in subjects from two different population groups. Healthy white (n = 9) and black (n = 9) males ingested 1.5 g FP each day for 7 days. 24 h urines (baseline and day 7) and blood samples (baseline and day 3) were collected. Urines were analyzed for lithogenic risk factors and were subjected to CaOx crystallization experiments in which the metastable limit (MSL), particle size-volume distribution and crystal deposition kinetics were determined. Urine composition values were used to calculate the relative supersaturation (RS) of CaOx and other urinary salts. Blood samples were analyzed for liver enzymes to monitor the safety of the protocol. Food diaries were recorded on days 0 and 7. Data were analyzed statistically using standard software. Nutrient intakes and the concentration of liver enzymes did not change during the study. No side effects were reported. There were no statistically significant differences in any of the thermodynamic (RS, MSL) or kinetic (particle volume-size distribution, crystal deposition rate) risk factors for CaOx stone formation in either of the groups following ingestion of FP relative to baseline values. FP does not have potential as a therapeutic agent in the management of CaOx kidney stone disease.

Herbal preparations affect the kinetic factors of calcium oxalate crystallization in synthetic urine: implications for kidney stone therapy.

Herbal remedies are increasingly being considered as suitable long-term treatments for renal dysfunction. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of some herbal extracts, all previously identified in published studies as influencing kidney stone formation, on the crystallization characteristics of calcium oxalate (CaOx) in synthetic urine (SU). Five herbal extracts were selected for the study: Folium pyrrosiae, Desmodium styracifolium, Phyllanthus niruri, Orthosiphon stamineus and Cystone(®). Concentrated stock solutions of each herbal extract were prepared and were tested at their recommended dosages in in vitro crystallization studies in SU. CaOx crystallization experiments were performed in which the metastable limit (MSL), average particle size, and nucleation and growth rates were determined. The CaOx MSL of SU was unaltered by the five herbal extracts. Three of the herbs (Desmodium styracifolium, Orthosiphon stamineus and Cystone(®)) significantly reduced the average particle size of precipitated crystals relative to undosed SU. All of the extracts increased the rate of nucleation and decreased the rate of growth significantly in SU. Cystone(®) showed the greatest effect on the measured risk factors. It is concluded that all of the herbs have the potential to serve as inhibitors of calcium oxalate stone formation and warrant investigation in clinical trials.

Does guasha offer hepatoprotective effect to chronic inactive hepatitis B carriers? A built-in design to control subject expectation.

BACKGROUND: A previous case study showed that Guasha, an ancient manual therapeutic technique, could exert hepatoprotective effect in a human chronic active hepatitis B carrier (active-CHB) by modulating the liver enzymes, cytokines, and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). The present study serves as a control to the aforementioned case report. The controls were chronic inactive carriers (inactive-CHB) and noncarriers of hepatitis B (NCs). Besides showing a difference in biochemical markers between controls and the previously reported active-CHB case, the asymptomatic condition in both inactive- and active-CHB offers an excellent control for the patient's expectation about Guasha's efficacy. The purpose of this case study was to investigate whether hepatoprotective biochemical markers previously measured in active-CHB in response to Guasha were also present in controls. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: Four inactive-CHB and nine NC participants were included. Each participant received a 15-minute Guasha treatment. Blood samples were obtained immediately before Guasha (day 0) and after Guasha (days 2, 5, and 7). Biochemistry values for liver function, HO-1, and T-helper (Th) cytokines were determined from blood tests. Neither the participants nor the investigator who administered Guasha were aware of the blood test results until after all data were collected for all participants. RESULTS: In both inactive-CHB and NC participants, liver function, serum HO-1, and Th1/Th2 cytokines did not significantly differ before and after Guasha. CONCLUSIONS: In contrast to results in active-CHB patients, Guasha did not induce any significant modulation of liver enzymes, HO-1, or cytokines in inactive-CHB and NC participants. The current results suggest that a Guasha-induced hepatoprotective effect depends on the inflammatory event or clinical stage of chronic hepatitis B. Because both active and inactive carriers were completely unaware of their liver status at the time of receiving Guasha, the research protocol is effective in discounting the model that attributes the Guasha therapeutic efficacy to a placebo effect due to participants' expectations.

Synergistic Cytotoxic Effects of Ganoderma lucidum and Bacillus Calmette Guérin on Premalignant Urothelial HUC-PC Cells and Its Regulation on Proinflammatory Cytokine Secretion.

Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is conventionally used as an adjuvant immunotherapy to reduce the recurrence of bladder cancer. To address the issues of efficacy and safety, an ethanol extract of Ganoderma lucidum (GLe) was evaluated for its interaction with BCG. In a model of premalignant human uroepithelial cells (HUC-PC), GLe exerted immediate cytotoxic effects while BCG showed a delayed response, given that both were immunological active in inducing the secretion of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1). Synergistic cytotoxic effects were observed when cells were either coincubated with both drugs or firstly preincubated with GLe. Synergism between GLe and BCG was demonstrated to achieve a complete cytostasis in 24 hours, and such effects were progressed in the subsequent 5 days. However, the pretreatment of GLe resulted in suppression of IL-6, IL-8, and MCP-1 secretions without affecting the cytotoxicity. Given that numerous proinflammatory cytokines are associated with the high side effects toll of BCG, results herein suggested the potential implications of GL to supplement the BCG immunotherapy in bladder cancer, for better efficacy and reducing side effects.

Nutritional and immunological characteristics of fresh and refrigerated stored human milk in Hong Kong: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: The nutritional and immunological qualities of human milk from Hong Kong mothers were profiled. METHODS: A total of 25 colostrum (≤ 3 days postpartum) and 11 mature (30-45 days postpartum) milk specimens were collected from healthy Chinese women in Hong Kong. Parameters including total protein, whey, casein, triglycerides, lactose, lysozyme, secretory immunoglobulin A, lactoferrin and antibacterial activity of human milk were quantified. RESULT: Breast milk of Hong Kong Chinese mothers is nutritionally comparable to that of western mothers for colostrum and mature milk, with protein (25.0±11.3 g/l vs 10.1±1.4 g/l) and lactose (44.2±7.5 g/l vs 66.6±5.5 g/l) for growth and energy supply in infants, respectively. The milk of Hong Kong mothers is however characterized by its exceptionally high levels of sIgA (806.3±792.6 mg/dl and 1545.9±334.6 mg/dl) and low levels of triglycerides (10.8±9.3 mmol/l and 11.1±7.7 mmol/l). The human milk in Hong Kong was also shown to be superior to bovine formula milk, particularly in terms of lower total protein level, the high whey to casein protein ratio, rich immunological active contents, and significant antibacterial activity against 2 common Escherichia coli strains. CONCLUSIONS: Preliminary data also indicated that mature milk could be refrigerated for at least 3 days in order to maintain the major nutritional constituents and antibacterial activity.

Guasha-induced hepatoprotection in chronic active hepatitis B: a case study.

BACKGROUND: Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) has demonstrated hepatoprotective effect in animal hepatitis models. HO-1 was also reported to be upregulated with Guasha, an ancient therapeutic technique which applies instrument assisted press-stroking to treat many disorders. METHODS: We report a case on the changes of liver function, plasma HO-1 and T-helper (Th) cytokine balance in a chronic active hepatitis B carrier before and after Guasha. The patient presented with increased activities of liver enzymes (ALT and AST), indicating inflammatory damage in liver before Guasha. RESULTS: Forty-eight hours after receiving Guasha, the patient showed changes in a number of serum markers: a decline of liver enzymes (ALT and AST) indicating reduced chronic inflammation, an elevated plasma HO-1, and a modulation of T-helper (Th)1/Th2 balance. CONCLUSIONS: Guasha was shown to transiently reduce the inflammatory markers of liver injury in human, together with an enhancement of HO-1 which might be responsible for the hepatoprotective action.

Telomerase-associated apoptotic events by mushroom ganoderma lucidum on premalignant human urothelial cells.

The chemopreventive effects of Ganoderma lucidum was tested, using a tumorigenic transformable human urothelial cell (HUC-PC) model. These in vitro data show that G. lucidum can inhibit the viability and growth of HUC-PC. This could be explained by a concomitant induction of apoptosis and inhibition of telomerase activity. Significant exteriorization of phosphatidylserine was detected by Annexin-V on cell surface, and the cells subsequently lost membrane integrity for uptake of 7-amino-actinomycin D dye. Additionally, the levels of hydrogen peroxide and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) production of the apoptotic cells were significantly increased. The induction of apoptosis and suppression of telomerase activity help to explain the anti-HUC-PC growth properties; however, the induction of oxidative stress requires further study. This study strongly suggests that G. lucidum is a potential source of chemopreventive agents for bladder cancer based on its effectiveness in controlling the premalignant urothelial cell growth and carcinogen-induced transformation.

Chinese herbal medicines and their efficacy in treating renal stones.

In herbal treatment of kidney stones, antilithics are used to "dissolve" the stones or aid their passing to guard against further retention. Diuretic action is also needed to increase the amount of fluid going through the kidneys and flush out the deposits. Previous clinical studies have shown that herbal medicines and their concoctions could be used to inhibit calcium oxalate crystallization. However, the pharmacodynamics and in-vitro effects of such medicines have not been established. Five Chinese herbal medicines were selected based on their usefulness in treating stone disease. A 96-well plate oxalate-induced turbidity in artificial urine was used to evaluate the efficacies of the different herbal medicines on calcium oxalate crystallization. The metastable limit was determined and the nucleation rate was derived from 12-min time-course measurement of turbidity at 405 nm. Phase-contrast microscopy was used to visualize the crystals. The results showed that with increasing concentrations of herbal extracts, smaller calcium oxalate crystal sizes were observed. Overall, the five herbal medicinal extracts tested were able to promote nucleation of calcium oxalate crystals while at the same time decreasing the size. This in-vitro crystallization confirms that prophylaxis of renal stones could be achieved by reducing overall supersaturation through promotion of small crystal nucleates and concomitant pharmacological diuretic action of herbal medicines. Clinical studies will provide more definitive conclusions.

Anticancer effects of Ganoderma lucidum: a review of scientific evidence.

"Lingzhi" (Ganoderma lucidum), a popular medicinal mushroom, has been used in China for longevity and health promotion since ancient times. Investigations into the anticancer activity of lingzhi have been performed in both in vitro and in vivo studies, supporting its application for cancer treatment and prevention. The proposed anticancer activity of lingzhi has prompted its usage by cancer patients. It remains debatable as to whether lingzhi is a food supplement for health maintenance or actually a therapeutic "drug" for medical proposes. Thus far there has been no report of human trials using lingzhi as a direct anticancer agent, despite some evidence showing the usage of lingzhi as a potential supplement to cancer patients. Cellular immune responses and mitogenic reactivity of cancer patients have been enhanced by lingzhi, as reported in two randomized and one nonrandomized trials, and the quality of life of 65% of lung cancer patients improved in one study. The direct cytotoxic and anti-angiogenesis mechanisms of lingzhi have been established by in vitro studies; however, clinical studies should not be neglected to define the applicable dosage in vivo. At present, lingzhi is a health food supplement to support cancer patients, yet the evidence supporting the potential of direct in vivo anticancer effects should not be underestimated. Lingzhi or its products can be classified as an anticancer agent when current and more direct scientific evidence becomes available.