uncaria sinesis as an antiager?

X-Message-Number: 25568
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2005 05:24:33 -0800 (PST)
From: Doug Skrecky <>
Subject: uncaria sinesis as an antiager?

[Uncaria sinesis was significantly more effective at increasing the
lifespan of HEK-N/F cells (201%), than terminalia chebula (40%).]

J Ethnopharmacol. 2004 Dec;95(2-3):127-32.
Cytoprotective effect on oxidative stress and inhibitory effect on
cellular aging of Uncaria sinensis Havil.
  The ethanol extract from the hooks and stems of Uncaria sinensis Havil
(Rubiaceae) exhibited significant inhibitory activity on oxidative stress
and the age-dependent shortening of the telomeric DNA length. In the
peroxidation model using t-BuOOH, the Uncaria sinensis extract showed a
notable cytoprotective effect on the HEK-N/F cells with 65.0 +/- 3.0% of
cell viability when compared with control cells at a concentration of 50
microg/ml. In addition, the Uncaria sinensis extract exhibited a
significant cytoprotective effect against UVB-induced oxidative damage.
The life-span of the HEK-N/F cells was elongated by 201% as a result of
the continuous administration of 3 microg/ml of the Uncaria sinensis
extract compared to that of the control. These observations were
attributed to the inhibitory effect of the Uncaria sinensis extract on
the age-dependent shortening of the telomere length as shown by the
Southern blots of the terminal restriction fragments (TRFs) of DNA
extracted from subculture passages.

Phytother Res. 2004 Sep;18(9):737-41.
Cytoprotective effect on oxidative stress and inhibitory effect on
cellular aging of Terminalia chebula fruit.
  The ethanol extract from the fruit of Terminalia chebula (Combretaceae)
exhibited significant inhibitory activity on oxidative stress and the
age-dependent shortening of the telomeric DNA length. In the peroxidation
model using t-BuOOH, the T. chebula extract showed a notable
cytoprotective effect on the HEK-N/F cells with 60.5 +/- 3.8% at a
concentration of 50 microg/ml. In addition, the T. chebula extract
exhibited a significant cytoprotective effect against UVB-induced
oxidative damage. The life-span of the HEK-N/F cells was elongated by 40%
as a result of the continuous administration of 3 microg/ml of the T.
chebula extract compared to that of the control. These observations were
attributed to the inhibitory effect of the T. chebula extract on the
age-dependent shortening of the telomere, length as shown by the Southern
blots of the terminal restriction fragments (TRFs) of DNA
extracted from subculture passages.

[Choto-san contains Uncaria sinensis.]

Am J Chin Med. 2003;31(1):79-85.
Choto-san prevents occurrence of stroke and prolongs life span in
stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats.
  The effects of long-term oral administration of choto-san (diao-teng-san
in Chinese) extract on the occurrence of stroke and life span were
investigated in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR-SPs).
Twenty-four rats were ramdomized into three groups. From 8 weeks of age,
0.1% and 0.3% choto-san groups were given water containing 0.1% (150
mg/kg/day) and 0.3% (450 mg/kg/day) choto-san extract, respectively. A
control group was given only water. The mean survival times of the
control group, 0.1% and 0.3% choto-san groups were 122.1, 159.8 and 176.8
days, respectively. The percent survivals of both the 0.1% and 0.3%
choto-san groups were significantly enhanced compared to the control
(Kaplan-Meier analysis followed by log-rank test; 0.1% choto-san: p <
0.05; 0.3% choto-san: p < 0.05). Furthermore, the cumulative percent
occurrence of neurological and behavioral signs accompying stroke in the
0.3% choto-san group was significantly inhibited compared to the control
(p < 0.05). These results suggested that choto-san prevents the
occurrence of stroke and prolongs the life span of SHR-SPs.

Mech Ageing Dev. 1999 Nov;111(2-3):155-73.
Efficacy of Choto-san on vascular dementia and the protective effect of
the hooks and stems of Uncaria sinensis on glutamate-induced neuronal death.
  Two different multicenter studies on the efficacy of Choto-san on
patients with vascular dementia, one a well-controlled but non-double
blind (60 patients), the other a double-blind controlled study (139
patients), were performed. In the well-controlled study, Choto-san was
superior in global improvement rating, utility rating and improvement of
subjective symptoms, psychiatric symptoms and disturbance in daily living
activities. In the double-blind study, with more objective criteria than
the well-controlled study, Choto-san was also superior in global
improvement rating, utility rating and improvement of subjective symptoms,
psychiatric symptoms and disturbance in daily living activities. These
results suggest that Choto-san is effective in the treatment of vascular
dementia. Uncaria sinensis (OLIV.) HAVIL. (US) is the main medicinal
plant composing Choto-san. Glutamate-induced cell death of cultured
cerebellar granule cells was protected by the application of water
extract of US in a dose-dependent manner, and concentrations of 10(-5) to
10(-4) g/ml had a significant effect compared to exposure to glutamate
only. Further, the increase of 45Ca2+ influx into cells by glutamate was
also blocked by the water extract in a dose-dependent manner. These
results suggest that US has a protective effect on glutamate-induced
neuronal death in cultured cerebellar granule cells through the
inhibition of Ca2+ influx.

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