Research

May 12, 2020

Study on the Safety of Mercury and Lead in Tibetan Medicine Ranansongpei

  Tibetan medicine Ranansongpei (RNSP) is widely used to cure cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases despite the fact that Tsothel is a main ingredient. Tsothel is the processed product of mercury and includes other heavy metals such as lead. Though it has the effect of reducing the toxicity, enhancing the efficacy of other drugs and as an adjuvant with other drugs, a great deal of research is needed on the drug safety of which content Tsothel.

  Our research results indicated that patients who took RNSP had no obvious differences in liver and renal functions, and the blood and urine tests also showed no obvious changes. Compared with the data in the before period, blood mercury levels clearly increased after intake of RNSP (P < 0.001), urinary mercury levels increased (P = 0.008) in the Middle period, and kept increasing (P < 0.001) in the after period. Fecal mercury levels significantly increased in the Middle period (P < 0.001). Blood, urinary, and fecal lead levels increased in the Middle period (P = 0.009, P = 0.039, and P = 0.044 respectively) compared with data in the before period, and there was no obvious statistical difference in the after period.

  These data suggest that RNSP intake increases the body burden of mercury and lead, but does not induce liver and renal injury short-term. Patients should be cautious about consuming RNSP, and further studies are needed to evaluate its toxicity potential.

  This result was published in Basic & Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology with the title of "Study on the Safety of Mercury and Lead in Tibetan Medicine Ranansongpei".

Study on the Safety of Mercury and Lead in Tibetan Medicine Ranansongpei.pdf