Evaluation of the antiurolithiatic activity of the extract of Costus spiralis Roscoe in rats

The antiurolithiatic activity of the water extract of Costus spiralis Rosco e was tested on formation of calculi on implants of calcium oxalate crystal s or zinc disc in the urinary bladder of rats. The plant is a species from the family Zingiberaceae used in Brazilian folk medicine in urinary affecti ons and for expelling urinary stones. Implantation of the foreign body in t he urinary bladder of adult rats induced formation of urinary stones and hy pertrophy of the smooth musculature. Oral treatment with the extract of Cos tus spiralis Roscoe (0.25 and 0.5 g/kg per day) after 4 weeks surgery reduc ed the growth of calculi, but it did not prevent hypertrophy of the organ s mooth musculature. The contractile responses of isolated urinary bladder pr eparations to the muscarinic agonist bethanecol, in the presence and absenc e of the extract (0.3-3 mg/ml) or atropine (0.3-3 nM) did not differ among the experimental groups. The results indicate that the extract of Costus sp iralis Roscoe is endowed with antiurolithiatic activity confirming thus fol k information. The effect, however, was unrelated to increased diuresis or to a change of the muscarinic receptor affinity of the bladder smooth muscu lature to cholinergic ligands, (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All r ights reserved.