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Clinical Insight
P R O B E
• V o l . L I I I • N o . 3 • A p r – J u n 2 0 1 4
Preclinical Evidence
Effect of Cystone on Glycolic Acid-induced
Urolithiasis in Rats
Mitra SK, et al
Phytother Res
. 1998;12:372–374.
A B S T R A C T
The effect of Cystone, a herbal
formulation, was studied on experimentally-
induced urolithiasis in rats. Oxalate urolithiasis
was produced by the addition of 3% glycolic
acid to the diet for a period for 42 days. Glycolic
acid treatment resulted in a significant increase in
the levels of calcium and oxalate in the kidney as well
as in the total kidney weight. Also, the urinary levels of
calcium, oxalate, and inorganic phosphorus were increased.
Cystone treatment at 250, 500, and 750 mg/kg body weight
po for 42 days revealed a dose-related effect in the reduction
of lithogenic substances, following glycolic acid-induced
urolithiasis. Simultaneous oral treatment with Cystone at a dose
of 500 and 750 mg/kg for 42 days, significantly reversed the
glycolic acid-induced urolithiasis, presumably by preventing the
urinary supersaturation of lithogenic substances, especially of
oxalate and calcium. The reduction of urinary and kidney oxalate
levels by Cystone may be due to its inhibitory action on oxalate
synthesizing liver enzyme glycolate oxidase. These observations
indicate that Cystone can play an important role in the
prevention of disorders associated with kidney stone formation.
Key Words:
Cystone, oxalate urolithiasis, antilithic property
Introduction
Urolithiasis is the third most common
disorder of the urinary tract, the
others being frequently occurring
urinary tract infections and benign
prostatic hyperplasia. The worldwide
incidence of urolithiasis is quite
high and in spite of tremendous
advances in the field of medicine,
there is no truly satisfactory drug for
the treatment of renal calculi. Most
patients still have to undergo surgery
to be rid of this painful disease.
Hyperoxaluria is the main initiating
factor for urolithiasis. Ayurveda, an
indigenous system of Indian medicine,
offers vast scope for the successful
treatment of urolithiasis. In the
present study, Cystone, a polyherbal
formulation, mainly comprising
plant drugs, which are widely used
for antilithiatic activity in traditional
medicine was evaluated for its effects
on experimentally-induced urolithiasis
in rats.
Materials andMethods
Forty male rats of Wistar strain
weighing between 180 and 220 g were
used in this study. The animals were
acclimatized to standard laboratory
