Gang Ban Gui

Name: Gang Ban Gui

Other Names: Thunder God Vine, Lei Gong Teng, Radix Tripterygium wilfordii

Description: Distribution:
native of southern part of mainland China, Taiwan, Burma

Properties (characteristics)
bitter and very toxic

Actions & Indications:　
for: anti-inflammation, kills worms, resolves toxins, treating proteinuric renal disease, used as immunosuppressive agent on autoimmune diseases.


Medical Functions:
　
1. Effects on immune system

2. Effects on anti-inflammatory

3. Effects on anti-cancer

4. Effects on contraception

5. Effects on urinary system

6. Effects on anti-organism and worms

7. Other Effects

Anti rejection on transplants

8. Inside body

9. Effects of toxicity

Other Research:

　
Four compounds purified from T. wilfordii may confer protection against the FSGS (focalsegmental gomerulosclerosis) factor.a

Research on Pharmacological Processes:
See Research Librarian

Modern Clinical Application:
1.proliferative arthritis　

2. inflammation of spinal cord

3. lupus

4. purpura

5. kidney inflammation

6. asthma

7. tuberculosis of the lungs

8. psoriasis

9. dermatitis

10. Reiter syndrome

　


Toxicity and Side Effects:　

1. Toxic reactions: dizziness, palpitation, weakness, nausea, vomiting, stomach ache, diarrhea, pain in liver and kidney areas, bleeding in the digestive tract, even respiration and circulation exhaustion and death.

2. Decrease of total blood cell counts

3. Mutation type of illness: using lei gong teng tincture for external use can cause mutation type of illness.

4. Long -term use of lei gong teng could significantly decrease bone mineral density of levels in female systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)b

5. Long -term use of lei gong teng causes hair loss and malfunction of immune system.

6. Large dosages and/or long term usage can be toxic to kidneys.


Tripterygium wilfordii, or lei gong teng, is a vine used in traditional Chinese medicine for treatment of fever, chills, edema and carbuncle. Tripterygium wilfordii recently has been investigated as a treatment for a variety of disorders including rheumatoid arthritis, chronic hepatitis, chronic nephritis, ankylosing spondylitis, as well as several skin disorders.

It is also under investigation for its apparent antifertility effects, which it is speculated, may provide a basis for a Male oral contraceptive.

Certain extracts from Tripterygium wilfordii, as well as from Trypterigium hypoglaucum and Tripterygium regeli, were discovered in the 1980s to have temporary antifertility effects, which has led to research on its potential as a contraceptive.
The plant contains many active compounds, at least six of which have male anti-fertility effect (triptolide, tripdiolide, triptolidenol, tripchlorolide, 16-hydroxytriplide and a compound known as T7/19, whose structure is unpublished). The mechanism by which they affect fertility is not yet understood. What is known is that daily doses of these compounds reduce sperm counts and also severely affect the formation and maturation of sperm, causing them to be immotile.

At medicinal doses, T. wilfordii extract does have significant side effects, including immuno-suppression. However, this may not apply to contraceptive use. Many of the side effects are caused by the other active compounds found in the plant, and do not appear when a pure extraction of the anti-fertility agents is used. In addition, the dose required to lower fertility is significantly lower than the standard medicinal dose.

T. wilfordii could be an effective pharmaceutical alternative to contraceptives based on hormonal manipulation. Further research may shed light on its functional mechanisms, and determine whether it could be used at low enough doses to avoid unpleasant side effects