TCM medicinal plant apparently causes cancer

Medicinal plants from traditional Chinese medicine cause cancer

04/11/2012

In Taiwan, more people suffer from tumors of the upper urinary tract than anywhere else in the world. Scientists have now discovered the cause of the frequency of this cancer: It is a used in traditional Chinese medicine medicinal plant of natural medicine, which has long been banned in Germany because of their toxic effects.

Aristolochic acid can cause upper urinary tract cancer
Between 1997 and 2003, one third of the Taiwanese population consumed Aristolochia products. They are obtained from the so-called "Aristolochia clematitis" and related plants that have long been regarded as medicinal plants. Scientists now report in the science magazine „Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences "that the aristolochic acid contained in the plants and the preparations made from it are carcinogenic, it promotes tumors of the upper urinary tract, which include the bladder, renal pelvis and ureter, causing aristolochic acid kidney damage leading to kidney failure Chronic kidney disease is also unusually widespread in Taiwan, the researchers report.

In the study, an international team of researchers led by Chung-Hsin Chen from the National Taiwan University Hospital in Taipei used genetic analysis to examine 151 tumors of the upper urinary tract. The special gene signature of tumors caused by aristolochic acid was detected in 60% of cases. This special feature has already been identified in the so-called Balkan nephropathy. In rural areas of several south-eastern European countries, conspicuous numbers of kidney diseases as well as tumors of the upper urinary tract appeared. Although the phenomenon was already described in the 50s, the cause was clarified much later. The weed Aristolochia clematitis is widespread in these regions and has been harvested locally and consumed.

The researchers report that Taiwan's distribution of cancer-causing forms of cancer is significantly different from that of other states. It is striking that in Taiwan, 35 percent of tumors occur in the ureter or renal pelvis rather than in the bladder. This is the case worldwide only in ten percent of patients. In addition, in Taiwan, an above-average number of women fell ill. They also received Aristolochia supplements more frequently than men.

Carcinogenic effect of aristolochic acid already known since 2009
Plants containing aristolochic acids are said to help alleviate numerous ailments. They are therefore prescribed for depression, asthma, constipation, rheumatism, tetanus, menstrual disorders and syphilis. However, the effect was not scientifically proven. Already in 2009 described doctors of the National Taiwan University in the journal „Journal of the National Cancer Institute“, that taking herbs with aristolochic acids increases the risk of tumors in the genitourinary tract.

The researchers evaluated the health insurance data from almost 4,600 patients with abdominal cancer, who fell again in five years, the tumor. In addition, they determined whether the affected persons had taken herbs with aristolochic acids. The researchers showed that the more herbs they had taken, the higher the risk of cancer. There was a clear dose-response relationship. In Germany, a ban on such drugs has been in existence for some time. In Taiwan and China, the ban was enforced in 2003. (Ag)

Image: Kurt Stueber, Wikipedia