Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Jul 10, 2026 1 hour, 3 minutes ago
Medical News: Kidney stones remain one of the most painful urinary tract conditions, affecting millions worldwide and often returning even after successful treatment. Now, researchers in China have discovered that extracts from the traditional Dai medicinal plant Aspidopterys tomentosa may help prevent calcium oxalate kidney stones by protecting kidney cells from damage and reducing crystal buildup.
A traditional Dai medicinal plant extract significantly reduced kidney stone formation and protected kidney tissue in
laboratory and animal studies
The research was conducted by scientists from the Yunnan Key Laboratory of Southern Medicine Utilization, Yunnan Branch of the Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Yunnan Minzu University, and Xishuangbanna Dai Medical Hospital, all in China.
A Traditional Remedy Put to the Test
For generations, the Dai people of southwest China have used Aspidopterys tomentosa, formerly known as Aspidopterys obcordata, to treat kidney stones and reduce the chances of stones returning after treatment. However, until now, the biological mechanisms behind its benefits had not been fully understood.
The researchers prepared a concentrated extract rich in steroidal saponins, identifying 21 natural compounds within it. They then tested the extract in human kidney cells exposed to calcium oxalate crystals and in mice with experimentally induced kidney stones.
Strong Protection for Kidney Cells
The study found that the plant extract significantly improved the survival of kidney cells injured by calcium oxalate crystals. It also reduced the production of harmful reactive oxygen species, unstable molecules that can damage cells and accelerate stone formation.
Even more importantly, treated kidney cells experienced far less programmed cell death, also known as apoptosis. Healthy kidney cells naturally resist crystal attachment, but once damaged they become ideal surfaces for crystals to stick, grow and eventually form stones.
In this
Medical News report, these findings suggest that preserving healthy kidney tissue could become an important strategy for preventing kidney stones rather than simply removing them after they develop.
Reduced Crystal Deposits and Better Kidney Function
The benefits extended beyond laboratory-grown cells. In mice, the extract dramatically lowered calcium oxalate crystal deposits within the kidneys. Animals receiving medium and high doses showed little or no visible crystal accumulation, while kidney tissue appeared healthier with far less structural damage.
The treatment also lowered blood levels of serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen, two important indicators of kidney function. These improvements indicate that the extract helped preserve the kidneys' ability to filter waste while protecting them from stone-related injury.
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Blocking a Harmful Stress Pathway
The researchers discovered that the extract works by suppressing excessive stress inside kidney cells. Specifically, it inhibited the PERK/ATF4/CHOP signaling pathway, which becomes overactive when cells experience endoplasmic reticulum stress.
When this pathway remains activated, it triggers inflammation, oxidative stress and cell death, creating conditions that encourage kidney stone formation. The extract reduced the activity of several harmful proteins, including CHOP, ATF4 and activated PERK, while restoring the balance between protective and destructive proteins that regulate cell survival.
Additional experiments using chemicals that either increased or reduced cellular stress confirmed that blocking this pathway was a major reason behind the extract's protective effects.
A Potential New Direction for Prevention
Although the findings are encouraging, the researchers emphasized that additional studies are needed before the extract can be developed into a treatment for people. Future work will need to optimize extraction methods, better quantify stone reduction and confirm the results through further molecular studies and eventually clinical trials.
The conclusion is that this traditional medicinal plant demonstrated impressive ability to protect kidney cells, reduce crystal accumulation and preserve kidney function, making it a promising candidate for future therapies aimed at preventing recurrent kidney stones rather than simply treating existing ones.
The study findings were published in the peer reviewed journal: Pharmaceuticals.
https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/19/7/1049
For the latest on herbs and phytochemicals, keep on logging to Thailand
Medical News.
Read Also:
https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/herbs-and-phytochemicals
https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/nephrology-(kidneys)
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