The Swelling-Dispersing, Nodule-Resolving and Anti-Cancer Effects of the Chinese Herb Loulu (Rhaponticum uniflorum)
Loulu is the dried root of Rhaponticum uniflorum (L.) DC. (family Asteraceae), mainly produced in Hebei, Shandong and Shaanxi. Traditional TCM holds that Loulu is bitter in flavor and cold in nature, entering the Stomach meridian. It has the actions of clearing heat and resolving toxin, dispelling carbuncles and dissipating nodules, unblocking the meridians and promoting lactation, and soothing the sinews and unblocking the vessels. Loulu both unblocks the meridians and promotes lactation, and disperses swelling and nodules, so it is an essential herb for treating breast carbuncle—what is today called acute suppurative mastitis.
When Loulu treats the swelling and pain of breast carbuncle, internal and external treatment may be used together: take the Loulu decoction internally, while at the same time applying fresh, crushed Loulu, or the herb dregs after decocting, externally to the affected area. Huimin Hejiju Fang records "Loulu San" for treating "blockage of qi and vessels in nursing mothers, failure of lactation, congealing and stagnation in the channels and collaterals, distending pain within the breast, and retained evil toxin": two and a half liang of Loulu, ten Gualou (Trichosanthes fruits, charred quickly over a fierce fire until their nature is preserved), and ten snake sloughs (roasted) are together made into a powder; take two qian each dose, mixed with warm wine.
Loulu can treat not only breast carbuncle, but also other heat-toxin sores and swellings, such as back carbuncle, scrofula, eczema and damp lesions. In treating heat-type carbuncles, Loulu is usually combined with Jinyinhua (Honeysuckle), Pugongying (Dandelion) and Zihuadiding (Viola). Loulu also has the action of soothing the sinews and unblocking the vessels; combined with Mugua (Chaenomeles fruit) and Dilong (earthworm), it can treat spasms of the channels and pain of the joints.
Loulu has an anti-tumor effect and can also be used in the treatment of many kinds of malignant tumors, including liver cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, bladder cancer and leukemia. Pharmacological experiments studied Loulu on human breast cancer MCF-7 cells and the doxorubicin-resistant MCF-7/ADR cell line. It was found that the serum containing various doses of Loulu extract had only a mild killing effect on MCF-7/ADR cells, but when used together with doxorubicin, it markedly enhanced the killing effect of doxorubicin on MCF-7/ADR cells, with the average cell death rate at 96 hours being 1.72 times that of doxorubicin alone. Thus Loulu can synergize doxorubicin in the treatment of breast cancer.
In addition, the crude extract of Loulu can induce apoptosis in the chronic myeloid leukemia cell line K562 and arrest its growth. Loulu also has a certain inhibitory effect on mouse H22 transplanted tumors. In vitro, the water extract of Loulu has certain cytotoxicity against human liver cancer HepG-2 cells; Loulu can inhibit CYP1A1 enzyme activity and down-regulate CYP1A1 expression in rat hepatocytes at the transcriptional level. These findings suggest that Loulu has a certain role in the chemotherapy of tumors.
Loulu also has a certain effect in treating radiation pneumonitis, a sequela of radiotherapy in cancer patients. One report treated 32 cases of radiation pneumonitis with Huangqi (Astragalus), Loulu, Pipaye (loquat leaf), Chuanbei (Fritillaria cirrhosa), Danggui (Angelica) and Nüzhenzi (Ligustrum lucidum fruit); the effective rate was 75%, with 8 cases ineffective.
The common oral dose of Loulu decoction is 9–15 g. Loulu is a bitter-cold herb; for sores of the yin pattern it is ineffective and may instead cause side effects. Pregnant women should also not use Loulu.