London (IANS): A commonly used over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drug and a herbal product may provide alternative options for treating urinary tract infection, one of the most common conditions in adult women which is currently treated with antibiotics, say researchers.
With antibiotic resistance rising, reducing the use of antibiotics where possible is one of the top priorities among health professionals.
To assess the effectiveness of the anti-inflammatory drug and the herbal product called Uva ursi, the researchers from University of Southampton will study the response of these mediations on 300 women with suspected cystitis (urinary tract infection).
“We are really excited to be getting started with this study which hopes to identify ways of relieving symptoms of urinary infection without the need to resort to antibiotics” lead researcher Michael Moore, professor at University of Southampton said in a statement released by the university.
Uva ursi, also known as bearberry or bear’s grape, is a plant found in North America, Asia and northern Europe. The herbal product is extracted from the leaves of the Uva ursi plant and has reported diuretic, urinary antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties.
Uva ursi has a traditional use dating back to the middle ages for many conditions including cystitis, urethritis and dysuria.
However, the efficacy of Uva ursi treatment in humans remains unproven, despite long-term use in folk medicine.
The new clinical trial was developed to find out if either Uva ursi or a readily available anti-inflammatory drug can be used during a period of delayed antibiotic prescription to provide symptom relief.
If so they would have the potential to change the way treatment is given and be used as an alternative to antibiotic prescribing.
I worked as a House Physician (junior doctor) in 1968 at Wenlock Hospital in Mangalore under Dr M Keshava Pai, a brilliant Physician. he asked me if I was interested in carrying out a small research project on amoebiasis. He also got another house officer called Leena Prabhu (I hope she gets to read this). A drug called Berberal (extract of bearberry) became available for use in dysentery. Dr. Pai knew the potential of this drug in treating amoebiasis and asked us to do a in-vitro study using different concentrations of the Berberal solution. It was interesting watching this amoeba under the microscope. The amoeba stopped its pseudopodial movements within a minute or so and we presumed it to be dead as it showed no signs of life after a few hours. We tested about 20 stool samples but I cannot remember if it was ever published or the drug getting licence for use in amoebiasis. I left Mangalore a year later to follow Dr. Pai’s foot steps and went to the UK. I am pleased to say I have had a successful career following Dr. Pai as my mentor.
Dr Ramesh Mallya UK
PS. You are welcome to type in my name “Dr Ramesh Mallya” in Google search and also under “Google Scholar” and see my research and publications. Sadly Dr Pai is no longer with us to read this storey. He was instrumental in introducing me to laboratory and clinical research. Unfortunately I have also lost contact with Dr Leena Prabhu. Thank you for reading this snippet.