Guest guest Posted January 28, 2003 Report Share Posted January 28, 2003 Hi All, Just something FYI. I have nothing to sell, this is information only for you to decide on. Sammy The TCM herb qinghao (artemisia annua) kills parasites by an oxidative stress process, and is being experimented with as an anti-cancer agent in the west, and indeed has been used in China for that purpose: " It has been applied in several thousand cases of tertian malaria , malignant malaria, cerebral malaria and those patients with chloroquine tolerance. " [1]. Here is some background: From http://homepages.uel.ac.uk/4474p/qingh.htm a description of the action of the herb on parasite metabolism is given: " The compound is activated by the intra-parasitic haem to irreversibly decompose, generating free radicals that alkylate and oxidises proteins and lipids. The membrane of the parasite is damaged by lipid peroxidation and channel proteins’ inactivation. (Ridley & Hudson 1998). .. " . Synergy of artemisinin derivatives and chemotoxic agents on the parasite have also been shown " Artesunate, a qinghaosu derivative, showed synergistic effects with miconazole, and with doxorubicin, both of which have been suggested to exert their chemotherapeutic effect through increasing the oxidant stress. In contrast, catalase, dithiothreitol and alpha-tocopherol reduced the effectiveness of qinghaosu in vitro. " [2] By analogy with cancer cells a similar action was theorised by Lai and Singh in 1995 and shown to have a specific effect on leukemia: " Rapid cell death, as evidenced by a decrease in cell counts, was observed when molt-4-lymphoblastoid cells, a human leukemia cell line, were exposed to holotransferrin (12 microM) and dihydroartemisinin (1-200 microM). ...... This drug combination may provide a novel approach for cancer treatment. " [3]. Subsequent work by Lai and Singh has been to demonstrate activity against breast cancer cells in vitro using holotransferrin to load cancer cells with iron which subsequently triggers the oxidative action of artemisinin [4] A possibly wider spectrum of activity has been found in the water soluble synthetic derivative of artemisinin, artesunate (ART) " ART was most active against leukemia and colon cancer cell lines (mean GI50 values: 1.11+/-0.56 microM and2.13+/-0.74 microM , respectively). " and " Intermediate GI50 values were obtained for melanomas, breast,ovarian, prostate, CNS, and renal cancer cell lines. Importantly, a comparison of ART's cytotoxicity with those of other standard cytostatic drugs showed that ART was active in molar ranges comparable to those of established anti-tumor drugs. " [5] There is some concern on my part that artemisinin and its synthetic derivatives may also be tumorigenic if used for an inappropriately long period of time. The usual duration for a malaria treatment is six days as per the dose in [1] (which will be a mixture of mostly soluble components). Dose and duration for maximum cancer cell kill have not been established despite the fact that most artemisinin derivatives are readily available by mail order and the herb qinghao is available from many TCM shops. I think the bottom line is that artemisia annua has been used by the Chinese to treat 'malignant malaria' using traditional methods of extraction and dosing and this has proven itself over time. We should take a leaf out of the TCM book and try to learn by it. I am not sure it is appropriate to use artemesia annua for a long time at high doses to treat other cancers and (incidentally) would appreciate hearing from anyone who has had success with this method in treating solid tumors. REFERENCES: 1: Advanced Textbook on Traditional and Pharmacology; Vol ii ISBN 7-80005-262-1; Page 62: Herba Artemisiae Annuae(qing hao) Herba Artemisiae Annuae is the aerial part of the annual herb Artemisia annua L. of Compositae. Distributed throughout the country, it is cut and collected in summer when the branches and leaves are growing luxuriantly and before it blossoms, and dried in the shade with the tough stems removed: Taste and Property: Bitter, and cold. Attributive Meridian : Liver and gallbladder meridians. Actions and Indications: (1) < snip > (2) < snip > (3) < snip > (4) To treat malaria, including malignant malaria. For such cases, it is used fresh in a large dosage and mixed with water to produce a juice for oral use, or the dried drug is boiled into a decoction for oral administration. Now, some tablets and injections are made from the drug for convenience of clinical application. It is also used to cure pruritus due to heat in blood. Dosage and Preparation: 10-15 g. For malaria, it is 20-40 g. If used fresh, the dosage should be doubled. Decoct no longer than five minutes. Remarks: Herba Artemisiae Annuae is bitter and cold, and is fairly effective in purging deficiency and excess heat. It is aromatic, and so can also eliminate dampness and treat heat syndrome complicated by dampness. This drug has been used in the treatment of malaria since ancient times. Through recent scientific research, an antimalarial ingredient, artemisinine, has been extracted from this drug. It has been applied in several thousand cases of tertian malaria , malignant malaria, cerebral malaria and those patients with chloroquine tolerance. The results show that it is more effective than chloroquine and other antimalarial drugs, with the advantages of low toxicity and quick result. " 2: Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 1987;81(5):710-4 ; The antimalarial action on Plasmodium falciparum of qinghaosu and artesunate in combination with agents which modulate oxidant stress. Krungkrai SR, Yuthavong Y. ; Department of Biochemistry, Rajavithi Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand. PMID: 3329778 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi 3: Cancer Lett 1995 May 4;91(1):41-6 ; Selective cancer cell cytotoxicity from exposure to dihydroartemisinin and holotransferrin. Lai H, Singh NP. Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA. PMID: 7750093 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi 4: Life Sci 2001 Nov 21;70(1):49-56 ; Selective toxicity of dihydroartemisinin and holotransferrin toward human breast cancer cells. Singh NP, Lai H. ; Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle 98195-7962, USA. narendra PMID: 11764006 ; http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi Artemisinin becomes cytotoxic in the presence of ferrous iron. Since iron influx is high in cancer cells, artemisinin and its analogs selectively kill cancer cells under conditions that increase intracellular iron concentrations. We report here that after incubation with holotransferrin, which increases the concentration of ferrous iron in cancer cells, dihydroartemisinin, an analog of artemisinin, effectively killed a type of radiation-resistant human breast cancer cell in vitro. The same treatment had considerably less effect on normal human breast cells. Since it is relatively easy to increase the iron content inside cancer cells in vivo, administration of artemisinin-like drugs and intracellular iron-enhancing compounds may be a simple, effective, and economical treatment for cancer. 5: Int J Oncol 2001 Apr;18(4):767-73 ; The anti-malarial artesunate is also active against cancer. Efferth T, Dunstan H, Sauerbrey A, Miyachi H, Chitambar CR. Virtual Campus Rhineland-Palatinate, P.O. Box 4380, D-55033 Mainz, Germany. efferth PMID: 11251172 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi Artesunate (ART) is a semi-synthetic derivative of artemisinin, the active principle of the Chinese herb Artemisia annua. ART reveals remarkable activity against otherwise multidrug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax malaria. ART has now been analyzed for its anti-cancer activitya gainst 55 cell lines of the Developmental Therapeutics Program of the National Cancer Institute, USA. ART was most active against leukemia and colon cancer cell lines (mean GI50 values: 1.11+/-0.56 microM and2.13+/-0.74 microM , respectively). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 28, 2003 Report Share Posted January 28, 2003 A couple years back while at a lecture on the wonders of reishi mushroom at Herbfest in Iowa, the speaker Terry Willard spotted a lady in the audience wearing artemisia annua on her hat. " Sweet Annie! " he called out and then broke from the lecture's topic to share with us a bit of information on the herb. He shared that he personally loved the herb but many people have an allergic response to it. (In deed yes. Years before, a friend of mine bought some land in the wilds of Wisconsin and she planted the growing tall fast herb around her designated ritual circle. When I arrived in late August the Sweet Annie was taller than me. About 30 of us processioned into the circle but I had to leave the group before quarters were even called because of the nonstop and extreemly forceful sneezing that I started to experience. After just a couple minutes out of the circle of Sweet Annie, my system calmed down again. My friend later shared with me that some others, not just me, have had similar experiences to her circle. In retrospect, I'm curious what percentage of the people who had responses like mine were vegetarians because ...) Anyway, Dr. Willard went on to say that there was some theory that the allergic response to Sweet Annie might not be the person's body reaction as much as what was living inside the person's body, Candida. I guess it would be sort of like how candida thinks for a person and makes them want lots of carbohydrates. This last silly statement is my own based on what I've sensed when giving shiatsu to people who are convinced they can live on just brown rice. Penel who is eating a lot more proteins and fats these days Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 29, 2003 Report Share Posted January 29, 2003 Importing seeds can be risky business. There are ecological factors to be considered when introducing a non-native plant. (Purple loosestrife was brought to North America as an ornamental - it now is choking out native plants and animals in wetland areas. Same with Scott's Broom, English Ivy and Himalayan Blackberries on the west coast. Big problems from benign plants.) Also - there may be something to using plants grown in their natural habitat - where healers began to know them as healing herbs. I have heard somewhere/someplace that a plant's properties will change when grown in different places (affected by different soil or water or climate?). I don't know if this means an warm natured herb might become cooling, or an herb that addresses the Lungs instead addresses a different organ. Anyone heard anything about this? If so, I wonder what this means for TCM herb availabilty/quality as China becomes more commercial. No one plant has all healing abilities. One may stand out in a group, but there are many possibilities found in many other herbs - as well as lifestyle and diet. I have always been amazed at what native/local plants to my climate end up being able to offer. Healing seems to be just under our nose sometimes. Just my thoughts at looking at options. BTW: Qing Hao is one of my favorites. Great to hear more about it. I have it in my garden (in a pot because it spreads aggressively). Deb - <ga.bates <Chinese Traditional Medicine > Tuesday, January 28, 2003 11:25 AM RE: [Chinese Traditional Medicine] Re: [Epcel] qinghao (artemisia annua) > True, the seeds are easily purchased, but Peter may experience similar > import restriction problems as he lives in Germany where the rules are > really tough. It is the sort of nightmare scenario we may all have to deal > with if the latest batch of regulations against herbals are not thrown out > of legislation. This applies to the UK and the USA and I suspect is largely > inspired by the pharmaceutical companies. Sammy. > > > Penel Eynde LeGrand <penel > [penel] > 28 January 2003 18:23 > Chinese Traditional Medicine > [Chinese Traditional Medicine] Re: [Epcel] qinghao (artemisia annua) > > > > I had to stop artemisinin because of import problems in Germany. > > If you can get hold of the seeds, why not grow it? Its an annual. If > you order some now, you can have the seeds and where you want to grow > it ready when spring comes. > > Penel > Post message: Chinese Traditional Medicine > Subscribe: Chinese Traditional Medicine- > Un: Chinese Traditional Medicine- > List owner: Chinese Traditional Medicine-owner > > Shortcut URL to this page: > /community/Chinese Traditional Medicine > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 29, 2003 Report Share Posted January 29, 2003 Chinese Traditional Medicine , " Deb & John " <rockscallop@h...> wrote: > Importing seeds can be risky business. There > are ecological factors to be considered when > introducing a non-native plant. > (Purple loosestrife was brought to North America > as an ornamental - it now is choking out native > plants and animals in wetland areas. Same with > Scott's Broom, English Ivy and Himalayan Blackberries > on the west coast. > Big problems from benign > plants.) Yes, my neighbors are inspired to spray their lawns every year to get rid of that pesty import, dandelion. Though Stephen Buhner's suggestion to me that I use another invasive import ground ivy (creeping jenny) as an ingredient in home made beer, it wasn't until meeting an ethno-botanist teaching American Indian herbal therapies that I accepted the little mint as an aid to health. But perhaps a variety of sweet annie (Michael Tierra mentions qing hao as sweet annie in his " the way of Chinese Herbs " btw) already grows in Germany. Various artemisias can be found all over the earth. > Also - there may be something to using plants > grown in their natural habitat - where healers > began to know them as healing herbs. I have heard > somewhere/someplace that a plant's properties will > change when grown in different places (affected by > different soil or water or climate?). And beyond that, what the plant produces to protect itself from fungus, bacteria et cetera in the soil. All the more reason to find out if it grows locally and encourage that. Penel who knows shiitake mushrooms aren't native to the USA, but has found them growing wild on rotting oak wood in the forest preserves around Chicago Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 10, 2003 Report Share Posted June 10, 2003 As you can see Kim this was posted a few months ago. I do not know if it is appropriate but it seems to me that " malignant malaria " would be a term TCM docs would feel comfortable with describing leukemia. Anyway, hope it helps. BTW there are several products out there on the net from artemisinin which is qinghaosu, to synthetic derivatives e.g. ART - see below. Cheers, Sammy. thanks Sammy I would be interested in qinghao, please send info. best regards Kim ><ga.bates >Chinese Traditional Medicine ><Chinese Traditional Medicine > >RE: [Chinese Traditional Medicine] leukaemia >Mon, 9 Jun 2003 18:54:46 +0100 > ga.bates [ga.bates] 28 January 2003 10:47 PPML; EPCEL; chinesehealing Cc: AML [Chinese Traditional Medicine] qinghao (artemisia annua) Hi All, Just something FYI. I have nothing to sell, this is information only for you to decide on. Sammy The TCM herb qinghao (artemisia annua) kills parasites by an oxidative stress process, and is being experimented with as an anti-cancer agent in the west, and indeed has been used in China for that purpose: " It has been applied in several thousand cases of tertian malaria , malignant malaria, cerebral malaria and those patients with chloroquine tolerance. " [1]. Here is some background: From http://homepages.uel.ac.uk/4474p/qingh.htm a description of the action of the herb on parasite metabolism is given: " The compound is activated by the intra-parasitic haem to irreversibly decompose, generating free radicals that alkylate and oxidises proteins and lipids. The membrane of the parasite is damaged by lipid peroxidation and channel proteins’ inactivation. (Ridley & Hudson 1998). .. " . Synergy of artemisinin derivatives and chemotoxic agents on the parasite have also been shown " Artesunate, a qinghaosu derivative, showed synergistic effects with miconazole, and with doxorubicin, both of which have been suggested to exert their chemotherapeutic effect through increasing the oxidant stress. In contrast, catalase, dithiothreitol and alpha-tocopherol reduced the effectiveness of qinghaosu in vitro. " [2] By analogy with cancer cells a similar action was theorised by Lai and Singh in 1995 and shown to have a specific effect on leukemia: " Rapid cell death, as evidenced by a decrease in cell counts, was observed when molt-4-lymphoblastoid cells, a human leukemia cell line, were exposed to holotransferrin (12 microM) and dihydroartemisinin (1-200 microM). ...... This drug combination may provide a novel approach for cancer treatment. " [3]. Subsequent work by Lai and Singh has been to demonstrate activity against breast cancer cells in vitro using holotransferrin to load cancer cells with iron which subsequently triggers the oxidative action of artemisinin [4] A possibly wider spectrum of activity has been found in the water soluble synthetic derivative of artemisinin, artesunate (ART) " ART was most active against leukemia and colon cancer cell lines (mean GI50 values: 1.11+/-0.56 microM and2.13+/-0.74 microM , respectively). " and " Intermediate GI50 values were obtained for melanomas, breast,ovarian, prostate, CNS, and renal cancer cell lines. Importantly, a comparison of ART's cytotoxicity with those of other standard cytostatic drugs showed that ART was active in molar ranges comparable to those of established anti-tumor drugs. " [5] There is some concern on my part that artemisinin and its synthetic derivatives may also be tumorigenic if used for an inappropriately long period of time. The usual duration for a malaria treatment is six days as per the dose in [1] (which will be a mixture of mostly soluble components). Dose and duration for maximum cancer cell kill have not been established despite the fact that most artemisinin derivatives are readily available by mail order and the herb qinghao is available from many TCM shops. I think the bottom line is that artemisia annua has been used by the Chinese to treat 'malignant malaria' using traditional methods of extraction and dosing and this has proven itself over time. We should take a leaf out of the TCM book and try to learn by it. I am not sure it is appropriate to use artemesia annua for a long time at high doses to treat other cancers and (incidentally) would appreciate hearing from anyone who has had success with this method in treating solid tumors. REFERENCES: 1: Advanced Textbook on Traditional and Pharmacology; Vol ii ISBN 7-80005-262-1; Page 62: Herba Artemisiae Annuae(qing hao) Herba Artemisiae Annuae is the aerial part of the annual herb Artemisia annua L. of Compositae. Distributed throughout the country, it is cut and collected in summer when the branches and leaves are growing luxuriantly and before it blossoms, and dried in the shade with the tough stems removed: Taste and Property: Bitter, and cold. Attributive Meridian : Liver and gallbladder meridians. Actions and Indications: (1) < snip > (2) < snip > (3) < snip > (4) To treat malaria, including malignant malaria. For such cases, it is used fresh in a large dosage and mixed with water to produce a juice for oral use, or the dried drug is boiled into a decoction for oral administration. Now, some tablets and injections are made from the drug for convenience of clinical application. It is also used to cure pruritus due to heat in blood. Dosage and Preparation: 10-15 g. For malaria, it is 20-40 g. If used fresh, the dosage should be doubled. Decoct no longer than five minutes. Remarks: Herba Artemisiae Annuae is bitter and cold, and is fairly effective in purging deficiency and excess heat. It is aromatic, and so can also eliminate dampness and treat heat syndrome complicated by dampness. This drug has been used in the treatment of malaria since ancient times. Through recent scientific research, an antimalarial ingredient, artemisinine, has been extracted from this drug. It has been applied in several thousand cases of tertian malaria , malignant malaria, cerebral malaria and those patients with chloroquine tolerance. The results show that it is more effective than chloroquine and other antimalarial drugs, with the advantages of low toxicity and quick result. " 2: Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 1987;81(5):710-4 ; The antimalarial action on Plasmodium falciparum of qinghaosu and artesunate in combination with agents which modulate oxidant stress. Krungkrai SR, Yuthavong Y. ; Department of Biochemistry, Rajavithi Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand. PMID: 3329778 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi 3: Cancer Lett 1995 May 4;91(1):41-6 ; Selective cancer cell cytotoxicity from exposure to dihydroartemisinin and holotransferrin. Lai H, Singh NP. Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA. PMID: 7750093 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi 4: Life Sci 2001 Nov 21;70(1):49-56 ; Selective toxicity of dihydroartemisinin and holotransferrin toward human breast cancer cells. Singh NP, Lai H. ; Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle 98195-7962, USA. narendra PMID: 11764006 ; http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi Artemisinin becomes cytotoxic in the presence of ferrous iron. Since iron influx is high in cancer cells, artemisinin and its analogs selectively kill cancer cells under conditions that increase intracellular iron concentrations. We report here that after incubation with holotransferrin, which increases the concentration of ferrous iron in cancer cells, dihydroartemisinin, an analog of artemisinin, effectively killed a type of radiation-resistant human breast cancer cell in vitro. The same treatment had considerably less effect on normal human breast cells. Since it is relatively easy to increase the iron content inside cancer cells in vivo, administration of artemisinin-like drugs and intracellular iron-enhancing compounds may be a simple, effective, and economical treatment for cancer. 5: Int J Oncol 2001 Apr;18(4):767-73 ; The anti-malarial artesunate is also active against cancer. Efferth T, Dunstan H, Sauerbrey A, Miyachi H, Chitambar CR. Virtual Campus Rhineland-Palatinate, P.O. Box 4380, D-55033 Mainz, Germany. efferth PMID: 11251172 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi Artesunate (ART) is a semi-synthetic derivative of artemisinin, the active principle of the Chinese herb Artemisia annua. ART reveals remarkable activity against otherwise multidrug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax malaria. ART has now been analyzed for its anti-cancer activitya gainst 55 cell lines of the Developmental Therapeutics Program of the National Cancer Institute, USA. ART was most active against leukemia and colon cancer cell lines (mean GI50 values: 1.11+/-0.56 microM and2.13+/-0.74 microM , respectively). Post message: Chinese Traditional Medicine Subscribe: Chinese Traditional Medicine- Un: Chinese Traditional Medicine- List owner: Chinese Traditional Medicine-owner Shortcut URL to this page: /community/Chinese Traditional Medicine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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