Kidney aristolochia

Aristolochia fangchi, Aristolochiaceae, Ang. it is transferred to butterflies from the diet MI acute OMe kidney damage recently... 

In the study of the patients with kidney cancer associated with the use of aristolochia, samples of kidney tissue were taken from patients. When analysed these were found to contain aristolochic acid, a known constituent of the herb. Molecules related to aristolochic acid were found bound to DNA from aU the kidney samples analysed. When molecules of a chemical become bound to DNA, dysfunction of the molecule can result in various ways. The binding to DNA can lead to mutations or other disturbances in DNA function which underlie cancer, such as switching on cancer genes or oncogenes. Many carcinogens (or their active metabolites) have been found to bind to DNA and this is believed to be part of the process by which chemicals cause cancer. 

Aristolochic acid and its salts, originated from a weed, Aristolochia clematitis, have toxic and carcinogenic effects to the kidneys and urothelium [45], respectively. Ivic [46] postulated that this plant may be a cause of Balkan nephropathy, but failed to provide convincing evidence from field surveys. Evidence that A. clematitis played a central role in the etiology of Chinese herb nephropathy [47-49], a condition similar to Balkan nephropathy, initiated a second look at this previously abandoned hypothesis and it gained a lot of weight by recent data on the association between DNA adduct formation derived from AA, mutation pattern and tumour development in BEN [50] (see also chapter 33). 

Even clear-cut cases of readily identifiable delayed reactions may take years to become apparent. The Belgian women who developed urethral cancer after Aristolochia ingestion were exposed almost a decade before their cancers became apparent. Had acute kidney damage not been identified at the time of the exposures, the reason for the sudden increase in this type of cancer in this population might not have been ascertained. 

Severe consequences following the consumption of certain herbal products have been reported. As an example a recent case study described a group of women in Brussels who developed rapid deterioration in their kidney function after taking herbal weight-loss products containing the herb Aristolochia fangchi A recent review of adverse events associated with the herb ephedra Ephedra sinica) found that 31% of analyzed cases, including deaths and permanent disability, were definitely or probably related to the use of ephedra. ... 

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