Pharmacology and Clinical Use

The genus Aristolochia comprises approximately 200 species, many of which have played important roles in folk medicine for treating sore throat, venomous snakebites, wounds, fevers, and tuberculosis. The chemistry and pharmacology of aristolochic acid, the main active principle, was researched by many scientists. Many worthy achievements in the pharmacology of aristolochic acid have been published. 

Kupchan and Doskotsch (9) found that an alcoholic extract of A. indica possessed reproducible activity against the adenocarcinoma 755 test system. The active principle, aristolochic acid I, was isolated and characterized. Kamatsh and co-workers (97) reported that growth of mouse sarcoma-37 cells incubated with aristolochic acid at concentration of 100-200 p-g/ml for 3 hr was completely inhibited. Treatment of mice with aristolochic acid (1.25-5 mg/kg ip per day) for 3 days after subcutaneous implantation of sarcoma-37 cells inhibited tumor growth in 40-50%. A dose of 2.5-5 mg/kg ip per day for 5 days remarkably prolonged survival. The cytotoxic effect on HeLa cells in culture was observed at a concentration of 25 p-g/ml. 

Aristolochic acid I was used in clinical trials in cancer therapy however, it was abandoned due to liver and kidney toxicity 98). It is interesting that the cytotoxicity of aristolochic acid, not only previously observed in animal cells, has also been confirmed for plant cells (99). Aristoloside (10), isolated from A. manshuriensis, possessed antitumor activity (31). 

Experiments performed in rabbits and guinea pigs showed marked stimulation of leukocyte phagocytosis following application of various dilutions of 

In mice infections with pneumococci were influenced very satisfactorily by aristolochic acid I. Rats with wounds infected with Staphylococcus aureus were treated intraperitoneally or orally with aristolochic acid I compared to controls, the treated animals recovered much faster. Rabbits after intravenous application of aristolochic acid I showed an increased antibactericial action of serum (97). Mice infected with bacteria including Staphylococcus aureus, Diphococcus pneumoniae, and Streptococcus pyogenes could be protected by treatment with 50 xg/kg ip of aristolochic acid I (97). 

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