The pharmacological activities of Compound Salvia Plebeia Granules on treating urinary tract infection

Aim of the study

Compound Salvia Plebeia Granules (CSPG) had been used for treating urinary tract infection (UTI) for more than 20 years in Drum Tower hospital, but there were lack of sufficient pharmacology studies. The aim of this study was to testify the effects of CSPG on UTI, namely to prove its diuretic, antiblastic, antipyretic and antidynous activities.

Materials and methods

This study evaluated the diuretic effect of CSPG on water load Sprague–Dawley (SD) male rats by the method of metabolic cage, and then analysed the contents of Na⁺, K⁺, and Cl⁻ in urine. The antiblastic activity of CSPG was testified by various kinds of strains in vitro. The antipyretic effect was evaluated by carrageenan-induced fever model in mice. Antidynous activity was demonstrated by the method of acetic acid-induced writhing.

Results

Intragastric (i.g.) administration of CSPG (20–40 g/kg) (equivalent to crude herb) produced a dose-related diuretic effect on water load mice and promoted excreting of Na⁺, K⁺, and Cl⁻ in urine. In addition, the minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of CSPG on Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were separately 0.25 g/ml and 0.5 g/ml. Moreover, i.g. the doses of CSPG ranging from 25.2 to 50.4 g/kg showed significantly antipyretic effect on carrageenan-induced fever in mice. CSPG (12.6–50.4 g/kg) can also produce dose-related antidynous effects on acetic acid-induced writhing in mice.

Conclusions

The results described the integrity report of pharmacological studies of CSPG and indicated that it had significantly diuretic, antiblastic, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory and antidynous activities which support its folk medicine use on UTI.