Functions
Ba Zheng San cleanses heat, purges pathogenic fire, and relieves stranguria by way of diuresis. The formula is primarily used to treat symptoms caused by heat attacking the lower energizer, such as strangury due to heat, stranguria complicated by hematuria, dysuria, abdominal distension, reddish and yellowish fur coating the tongue, and a slippery pulse.
Dosage Info
Internal administration: decoction; the formula can be made into powder, 5g, 3 times a day; as mixture, 15 to 20ml, 3 times a day. 5:1 concentrated extracts: 9 grams/day.
Ingredients
Precautions
Guo reported one case of ileus after taking Ba Zheng San, and cautioned against using the formula in pregnant women, patients with a weak constitution, or patients who have had lower abdomen surgery. (1)
Pharmacology
Antibacterial effect: This formula has been shown to have a bacteriostatic effect on gonococcus with the minimum inhibition concentration being less than 20mg/ml. (2) At 100mg/ml, the formula can kill gonococcus in 10 minutes. (3) Although the formula does not directly inhibit the urinary pathogenic colibacillus, it does inhibit the urinary pathogenic colibacillus’s adhesion to the urinary epithelial cells and therefore has the effect of treating urinary tract infections caused by urinary pathogenic colibacillus. (4)
When administered to rats with cystopyelonephritis (inflammation of the bladder), Ba Zheng San has been shown to increase urination and clear urinary pathogenic bacteria and pathogenic bacteria in the kidney. The formula can also increase the survival rate of mice infected with colibacillus and proteus. (5) Ba Zheng San has a bacteriostatic effect on the following bacteria: Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus coli, Bacillus proteus, Flexner’s bacillus, Shiga’s bacillus, Serratia marcescens, etc. (6)
Preventing urinary lithiasis: In-vitro experiments show that Ba Zheng San can inhibit crystallization and prevent calcium oxalate calculus from forming. (7)
Clinical Applications
Treating urinary tract infections
Liu treated 106 cases of various urinary tract infections with Ba Zheng San. The results showed that this formula demonstrated to be an effective treatment for various urinary tract infections and it also had excellent therapeutic effects on acute urinary tract infections.
References
- Guo Cheng Lin. One case of ileus after taking Ba Zheng San. Liaoning Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine. 1989;13(9):40.
- Wu Chun Chao, et al. Chinese herbal formulas’ bacteriostatic effect on gonococcus. Zhejiang Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine. 1993;28(6):281-282.
- Lu Hua Chong, et al. Ba Zheng San’s bacteriostatic effect on gonococcus. Journal of Chinese Materia Medica. 1998;21(3):147-148.
- Sun Da Xi, et al. Ba Zheng San’s inhibitive effect on colibacillus. Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine. 1987; (1);61-62.
- Xu Xiao Ping, et al. Ba Zheng San’s effect on experimental cystopyelonephritis in rats. Journal of Pharmacology and Clinical Application of Traditional Chinese Medicine. 1996;12(4):7-9.
- Gao Ling Ling, et al. Six classical formulas’ in-vitro bacteriostatic effect. Journal of Chinese Patent Medicine. 1998;20(6):22-24.
- He Zhan Ju, et al. Ba Zheng San’s effect in preventing urolithiasis. Chinese Journal of External Urology. 1991;12(1):51-53.