Thunder God Vine
Description
Known to the scientific community as Tripterygium wilfordii, thunder god vine has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for abscesses, boils, fever, and inflammation. Extracts are made from the leaf and root of the flowering shrub. Recent Western interests in thunder god vine have spawned numerous laboratory studies on the components and functions of the plant.
Method of Action
Immunosuppression
Extracts from Tripterygium wilfordii have been shown to suppress the immune system through a variety of mechanisms. This may be of benefit for patients undergoing chemotherapy, as triptolide (a component of thunder god vine) may enhance chemotherapy-induced apoptosis through increased expression of p53 but inhibition of p53 transcriptional function. (Chang, 2000).
Immunosuppression with triptolide may also benefit those with rheumatoid arthritis, through inhibition of prostaglandin E2 production in synovial cells (as a COX-2 inhibitor). (Maekawa, 1999)
Therapeutic Approaches
Thunder God Vine may be useful for rheumatoid arthritis. An appropriate dosage for rheumatoid arthritis could be 30 mg/day of thunder god vine polyglycoside extract.
Thunder god vine may also be effective in reducing male fertility, by inhibiting spermatogeneis and reducing sperm motility. It does not affect testosterone levels.
Toxicity Factors
Side effects may include gastrointestinal disturbances, infertility (in men), immunosuppression, skin reactions, amenorrhea, birth defects (if taken during pregnancy), and complications of pre-existing heart damage.
Thunder god vine is a potent immunosuppressant. People with infections, diseases, or immunodeficiency disorders should not supplement with thunder god vine.
References
Chang WT, et al: Triptolide and chemotherapy cooperate in tumor cell apoptosis: a role for the p53 pathway, J Biol Chem 2000 Oct 26; [epub ahead of print]
Chen K, Shi QA, Fujioka T, et al. "Anti-AIDS agents, 4. Tripterifordin, a novel anti-HIV principle from Tripterygium wilfordii: isolation and structural elucidation." J Nat Prod, 1992;55:88-92.
Chen K, Shi Q, Kashiwada Y, et al. "Anti-aids agents, 6. Salaspermic acid, an anti-HIV principle from Tripterygium wilfordii, and the structure-activity correlation with its related compounds." J Nat Prod, 1992; 55:340-346.
Luk JM, Lai W, Tam P, Koo MW: Suppression of cytokine production and cell adhesion molecule expression in human monocytic cell line THP-1 by Tripterygium wilfordii polysaccharide moiety, Life Sci 2000;67(2):155-63
Maekawa K, et al: The molecular mechanism of inhibition of interleukin-1beta-induced cyclooxygenase-2 expression in human synovial cells by Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F extract, Inflamm Res 1999 Nov;48(11):575-81
Nagashima G, Suzuki R, et al. "Meningoencephalocele associated with Tripterygium wilfordii treatment." Pediatr Neurosurg, 1997; 27:45-48.
Pyatt DW, et al: Hematotoxicity of the chinese herbal medicine Tripterygium wilfordii hook f in CD34-positive human bone marrow cells, Mol Pharmacol 2000 Mar;57(3):512-8
Tao XL, Sun Y, Dong Y, et al. "A prospective, controlled, double-blind, cross-over study of tripterygium wilfodii hook F in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis." Chin Med J (Engl), 1989; 102:327-332.
The Review of Natural Products by Facts and Comparisons. St. Louis, MO: Wolters Kluwer Co., 1999.
Yang Y, Liu Z, Tolosa E, Yang J, Li L: Triptolide induces apoptotic death of T lymphocyte, Immunopharmacology 1998 Aug;40(2):139-49
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