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Study on Efficacy of Oxymatrine
It took some finding but I finally found the full Chinese Study on Oxymatrine. So thought I’d post it
Preliminary Study on Efficacy of Oxymatrine in Treatment of Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C
http://www.wanfangdata.com.cn/qikan/periodical.articles/zgzxyjh-e/zgzx99/zgzx9901/990107.htm
Below is from Liver International ISSN 1478-3223
Natural products and chronic hepatitis C virus
Oxymatrine
Composition and pharmacology
Oxymatrine and matrine are the two major alkaloid aqueous extracts from the sophora root. Three species exist: Sophora alopecuraides L, Sophora flavescens and Sophora subprostrata . It is claimed but currently unclear whether oxymatrine is more clinically potent than matrine.
Laboratory and animal studies
Oxymatrine is reported to have antiviral activity against HCV in cell cultures and in animal and human studies (25–27). One animal study showed that oxymatrine has some hepatoprotective activity in that it decreased alkyl
alcohol toxicity, but not CCl4-, acetaminophen- or cadmiumchloride-induced acute hepatitis (28). Oxymatrine is considered antifibrotic, probably through inhibition of lipid peroxidation (29, 30), and it is also an immune system enhancer, specifically shifting hepatitis B virus (HBV)-transfected mice immunity from a Th2 (IL-4 and IL-10) to a Th1 (IFN-g, IL-2) response (31).
Clinical trials
Most of the clinical trials have been performed on HBV in China, using oxymatrine extracted from S. flavescens and S . subprostata . Oxymatrine has been shown to have antiviral activity against HBV and to improve liver function (25, 32–34). A study on human subjects infected with HCV indicated that oxymatrine significantly lowered IL-2R levels as well as serum collagen IV (30). Previous clinical trials indicate that oxymatrine may be effective in normalizing ALT levels and clearing the HBV virus (33–35). Two clinical trials have looked at the effect of oxymatrine in chronic HCV patients (25, 30, 36). In the first study, 40 patients were randomized to receive either an intravenous injection of 600 mg/day oxymatrine or other support products, namely vitamins administered orally as a control. According to the study’s authors, after 3 months of treatment, 47% of the treated cases cleared HCV, compared with only 5% in
the control group (see Table 1). No serious adverse events were reported. The treated group had a significantly higher ALT normalization rate relative to the control group in the first 2 months, but this significant difference was not maintained at the end of the third month of treatment.While treatment with oxymatrine seems promising, it is difficult to draw conclusions from this small RCT. The RCT also had several flaws; the trial was not blinded, and the nature of the support control treatment was not clearly specified. Moreover, it is unclear how ALT normalization was defined.
The second trial was a double-blinded multicentre RCT that aimed to assess the effect of oxymatrine on liver fibrosis in both HBV and HCV chronically infected patients (36). The treated group took one 300mg oxymatrine capsule orally three times a day, in addition to a complex of vitamins B and C. Controls received an empty capsule in lieu of oxymatrine, as well as the vitamins. Of the 144 patients enrolled, 132 remained in the study, and the authors report a significant improvement in liver fibrosis as measured by a series of indicators, including serum hyaluronic acid and type-III procollagen peptide. The authors also report significant improvements in ALT (P = 0.0007) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST, P = 0.0025) levels in the oxymatrine-treated group relative to the control group (see Table 1). The trial was well designed in general; unfortunately, the authors failed to report the proportion of HCV vs. HBV cases and the effect of oxymatrine on the viral load.
However, these results are promising and indicate that treatment with oxymatrine capsules warrants further evaluation in HCV cases.
CS
Preliminary Study on Efficacy of Oxymatrine in Treatment of Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C
http://www.wanfangdata.com.cn/qikan/periodical.articles/zgzxyjh-e/zgzx99/zgzx9901/990107.htm
Below is from Liver International ISSN 1478-3223
Natural products and chronic hepatitis C virus
Oxymatrine
Composition and pharmacology
Oxymatrine and matrine are the two major alkaloid aqueous extracts from the sophora root. Three species exist: Sophora alopecuraides L, Sophora flavescens and Sophora subprostrata . It is claimed but currently unclear whether oxymatrine is more clinically potent than matrine.
Laboratory and animal studies
Oxymatrine is reported to have antiviral activity against HCV in cell cultures and in animal and human studies (25–27). One animal study showed that oxymatrine has some hepatoprotective activity in that it decreased alkyl
alcohol toxicity, but not CCl4-, acetaminophen- or cadmiumchloride-induced acute hepatitis (28). Oxymatrine is considered antifibrotic, probably through inhibition of lipid peroxidation (29, 30), and it is also an immune system enhancer, specifically shifting hepatitis B virus (HBV)-transfected mice immunity from a Th2 (IL-4 and IL-10) to a Th1 (IFN-g, IL-2) response (31).
Clinical trials
Most of the clinical trials have been performed on HBV in China, using oxymatrine extracted from S. flavescens and S . subprostata . Oxymatrine has been shown to have antiviral activity against HBV and to improve liver function (25, 32–34). A study on human subjects infected with HCV indicated that oxymatrine significantly lowered IL-2R levels as well as serum collagen IV (30). Previous clinical trials indicate that oxymatrine may be effective in normalizing ALT levels and clearing the HBV virus (33–35). Two clinical trials have looked at the effect of oxymatrine in chronic HCV patients (25, 30, 36). In the first study, 40 patients were randomized to receive either an intravenous injection of 600 mg/day oxymatrine or other support products, namely vitamins administered orally as a control. According to the study’s authors, after 3 months of treatment, 47% of the treated cases cleared HCV, compared with only 5% in
the control group (see Table 1). No serious adverse events were reported. The treated group had a significantly higher ALT normalization rate relative to the control group in the first 2 months, but this significant difference was not maintained at the end of the third month of treatment.While treatment with oxymatrine seems promising, it is difficult to draw conclusions from this small RCT. The RCT also had several flaws; the trial was not blinded, and the nature of the support control treatment was not clearly specified. Moreover, it is unclear how ALT normalization was defined.
The second trial was a double-blinded multicentre RCT that aimed to assess the effect of oxymatrine on liver fibrosis in both HBV and HCV chronically infected patients (36). The treated group took one 300mg oxymatrine capsule orally three times a day, in addition to a complex of vitamins B and C. Controls received an empty capsule in lieu of oxymatrine, as well as the vitamins. Of the 144 patients enrolled, 132 remained in the study, and the authors report a significant improvement in liver fibrosis as measured by a series of indicators, including serum hyaluronic acid and type-III procollagen peptide. The authors also report significant improvements in ALT (P = 0.0007) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST, P = 0.0025) levels in the oxymatrine-treated group relative to the control group (see Table 1). The trial was well designed in general; unfortunately, the authors failed to report the proportion of HCV vs. HBV cases and the effect of oxymatrine on the viral load.
However, these results are promising and indicate that treatment with oxymatrine capsules warrants further evaluation in HCV cases.
CS
Shoulda tinyurl-ed the link, oh well. I also wish that more was done researching this. Even the authors of the Chines study recognised this. Below is the last paragraph from the Chinese study.
However, the long-term effect of oxymatrine needs to be further observed because of case number and short duration of therapy in this study, more studies to explore its pharmacological mechanism and to determine its optimal dose and duration is indispensable.
Raises some Questions ay. Why hasnt there been more done in China. Or has more been done in China but they havnt reported the results. The Chinese dont seem to report failures.
Wish there was a western study done somewhere on Oxymatrine.
Nah No shrimp (called Prawns here) on the Barbie for xmas, might have seafood though depending on how hot it gets.
CS
However, the long-term effect of oxymatrine needs to be further observed because of case number and short duration of therapy in this study, more studies to explore its pharmacological mechanism and to determine its optimal dose and duration is indispensable.
Raises some Questions ay. Why hasnt there been more done in China. Or has more been done in China but they havnt reported the results. The Chinese dont seem to report failures.
Wish there was a western study done somewhere on Oxymatrine.
Nah No shrimp (called Prawns here) on the Barbie for xmas, might have seafood though depending on how hot it gets.
CS
hey, thanks for this - got some shrimp on the barbee for this xmas? :) so sillly....but really thanks for this, I wish they'd do more,...
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