Currently taking this herb to enhance endurance .However just out of curiousity i googled "cordyceps and estrogen "
I came across an article on bladder cancer which indicated that cordyceps can increase estrogen production and should be avoided, yet in chinese medicine it is also used for impotence.
So its left me a bit confused.
Can anyone else offer more info on this?
(I see its included in AX Advanced PCT)
I have seen the study- and quite a few others- cordyceps can normalize hormone levels (btw- good answers guys), and this can take several different contexts- and it seems to have a strong positive effect on the immune system and decreases airway resistance (helps with endurance). here are some more studies- maybe they can shed more light for you- first one is not even in print yet:
Phytother Res. 2008 Sep 19. [Epub ahead of print] Links
Antiaging effect of Cordyceps sinensis extract.Ji DB, Ye J, Li CL, Wang YH, Zhao J, Cai SQ.
Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, R.P. China.
This experiment studied the effect of Cordyceps sinensis extract (CSE) on mice aged by d-galactose and castrated rats to analyse its antiaging effect. Water maze and step-down type avoidance tests were used to examine the effect of CSE on learning and memory. CSE shortened escape latency, prolonged step-down latency and decreased the number of errors in mice aged by d-galactose. The effect of CSE on the sexual function of castrated rats was evaluated by measuring the penis erection latency, mount latency and ejaculation latency. CSE appeared to shorten penis erection latency and mount latency in castrated rats. The study also measured the effect of CSE on the activity of age-related enzymes. The results showed that CSE improved the activity of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase and lowered the level of lipid peroxidation and monoamine oxidase activity in the aged mice. The study demonstrated that CSE can improve the brain function and antioxidative enzyme activity in mice with d-galactose-induced senescence and promote sexual function in castrated rats. All of these findings suggest that CSE has an antiaging effect.
Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. 2004 Aug;29(8):773-6.Links
[An experimental study on anti-aging action of Cordyceps extract][Article in Chinese]
Wang YH, Ye J, Li CL, Cai SQ, Ishizaki M, Katada M.
School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100083, China.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate anti-aging effect and mechanism of Cordyceps extract(CSE) on aged mice induced by D-galactose. METHOD: The aged mice were induced by D-galactose. Meanwhile, they were treated with three doses of CSE. Then the ability of learning and memory, the activity of antioxidase in the different tissue, the contents of MDA of brain and liver were measured after 6 weeks. RESULT: CSE could significantly increase the ability of learning and memory, improve the activity of SOD of red blood cells, brain and liver, the activity of Na(+) -K(+) -ATPE of brain, the activity of CAT and GSH-Px of blood, and remarkably decrease the activity of MAO of brain and the contents of MDA of brain and liver. CONCLUSION: CSE has good anti-aging effects on the aged mice, which is probably due to effects of improving antioxidation and removing free radicals.
Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2008 Apr;233(4):447-55. Links
Cordyceps sinensis health supplement enhances recovery from taxol-induced leukopenia.Liu WC, Chuang WL, Tsai ML, Hong JH, McBride WH, Chiang CS.
The Department of Biomedical Engineering and Environmental Sciences, National Tsing Hua University, 101 Sec. 2, Kuang-Fu Road, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan.
This study aimed to evaluate the ability of the health food supplement Cordyceps sinensis (CS) to ameliorate suppressive effects of chemotherapy on bone marrow function as a model for cancer treatment. Mice were treated with Taxol (17 mg/kg body wt) one day before oral administration of a hot-water extract of CS (50 mg/kg daily) that was given daily for 3 weeks. White blood cell counts in peripheral blood of mice receiving Taxol were at 50% of normal levels on day 28 but had recovered completely in mice treated with CS. In vitro assays showed that CS enhanced the colony-forming ability of both granulocyte macrophage colony forming unit (GM-CFU) and osteogenic cells from bone marrow preparations and promoted the differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells into adipocytes, alkaline phosphatase-positive osteoblasts, and bone tissue. This result could be attributed to enhanced expression of Cbfa1 (core binding factor a) and BMP-2 (bone morphogenetic protein) with concurrent suppression of ODF (osteoclast differentiation factor/RANK [receptor activator of NF-kappaB]) ligand. In summary, CS enhances recovery of mice from leukopenia caused by Taxol treatment. It appears to do so by protecting both hematopoietic progenitor cells directly and the bone marrow stem cell niche through its effects on osteoblast differentiation.
J Ethnopharmacol. 2008 Apr 17;117(1):92-101. Epub 2008 Feb 6. Links
Effects of Cordyceps sinensis, Cordyceps militaris and their isolated compounds on ion transport in Calu-3 human airway epithelial cells.Yue GG, Lau CB, Fung KP, Leung PC, Ko WH.
Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, China.
AIM OF THE STUDY: The traditional Chinese medicine Cordyceps sinensis (CS) (Clavicipitaceae) improves pulmonary function and is used to treat respiratory disease. Here, we compare the efficacy and mechanisms of action of Cordyceps sinensis and Cordyceps militaris (CM) (Clavicipitaceae) in Calu-3 human airway epithelial monolayer model. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The extracts of Cordyceps sinensis and Cordyceps militaris, as well as their isolated compounds, cordycepin and adenosine, stimulated ion transport in a dose-dependent manner in Calu-3 monolayers. In subsequent experiments, transport inhibitor bumetanide and carbonic anhydrase inhibitor acetazolamide were added after Cordyceps sinensis and Cordyceps militaris extracts to determine their effects on Cl- and HCO3- movement. RESULTS: The results suggested that Cordyceps sinensis and Cordyceps militaris extracts may affect the anion movement from the basolateral to apical compartments in the airway epithelia. CONCLUSIONS: Basolateral Na+-K+-2Cl- cotransporter and apical cAMP-dependent cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator Cl- channel are involved in the process. The results provide the first evidence for the pharmacological mechanism of Cordyceps sinensis and Cordyceps militaris on respiratory tract.
Immunopharmacol Immunotoxicol. 2008;30(1):53-70. Links
Immune activation by a sterile aqueous extract of Cordyceps sinensis: mechanism of action.Jordan JL, Sullivan AM, Lee TD.
Department of Pathology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Cordyceps sinensis is a fungus that has been used for over 2,000 years in China as a treatment for a variety of conditions including infectious diseases. The available evidence suggests a hypothesis that any efficacy of C. sinensis as an anti-infective therapeutic would be related to a role as an activator of innate immune responses. The objectives of this study were first to investigate the ability of C. sinensis to activate pro-inflammatory responses in macrophages in vitro and induce protective responses against intracellular pathogens in vivo, and second to characterize a method of action. We found that C. sinensis activates murine macrophages to produce a variety of pro-inflammatory cytokines. IFN-gamma synergizes with C. sinensis to amplify this response. Bacterial endotoxin contamination was ruled out as a potential artefact. The evidence presented in this study supports a hypothesis that C. sinensis activates macrophages by engaging Toll-like receptors and inducing mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways characteristic of inflammatory stimuli.
Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2007 Jun;75(4):769-75. Epub 2007 Feb 21. Links
Immunomodulatory effect of exo-polysaccharides from submerged cultured Cordyceps sinensis: enhancement of cytokine synthesis, CD11b expression, and phagocytosis.Kuo MC, Chang CY, Cheng TL, Wu MJ.
Department of Biotechnology, Chia-Nan University of Pharmacy and Science, Tainan, 717, Taiwan.
Cordyceps sinensis is widely used as a traditional medicine for treatment of a wide variety of diseases or to maintain health. The immunomodulatory activity of polysaccharides prepared from submerged cultured C. sinensis BCRC36421 was investigated in human peripheral blood. Results demonstrated that Fr. A (exo-polysaccharides, 0.025 approximately 0.1 mg/ml) induced the production of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-10 dose-dependently. Fr. A, as low as 0.025 mg/ml, could significantly augment surface expression of CD11b in monocytes and polymorphonuclear neutrophils. Functional assay revealed that Fr. A (0.05 mg/ml) also elevated phagocytosis in monocytes and PMN. On the other hand, Fr. B (intracellular polysaccharides) only moderately induced TNF-alpha release, CD11b expression, and phagocytosis at the same concentrations. Our results indicate that the immunomodulatory components of submerged cultured C. sinensis mainly reside in the culture filtrate.
Cordycepin (3'-deoxyadenosine) inhibits human platelet aggregation in a cyclic AMP- and cyclic GMP-dependent manner.Cho HJ, Cho JY, Rhee MH, Park HJ.
Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, College of Biomedical Science and Engineering, and Regional Research Center, Inje University, 607, Obang-Dong, Gimhae, Gyungnam, Republic of Korea.
Cordycepin (3'-deoxyadenosine) is isolated from Cordyceps militaris, a species of the fungal genus Cordyceps. Cordycepin is an ingredient used in traditional Chinese medicine and is prescribed for various diseases, such as cancer and chronic inflammation. In this study, we investigated the novel effect of cordycepin (3'-deoxyadenosine) on collagen-induced human platelet aggregation. Cordycepin inhibited dose-dependently collagen-induced platelet aggregation in the presence of various concentrations of exogenous CaCl(2). Of two aggregation-inducing molecules, cytosolic free Ca(2+) ([Ca(2+)](i)) and thromboxane A(2) (TXA(2)), cordycepin (500 microM) blocked the up-regulation of [Ca(2+)](i), by up to 74%, but suppressed TXA(2) production by 46%. Subsequently, Ca(2+)-dependent phosphorylation of both 47-kDa and 20-kDa proteins in collagen-treated platelets was potently diminished by cordycepin. However, upstream pathways for producing these two inducers, such as the activation of phospholipase C-gamma2 (PLC-gamma2) (assessed by the phosphotyrosine level) and the formation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP(3)), were not altered by cordycepin. Cordycepin increased the level of second messengers adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) and guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) in collagen-stimulated platelets. Whereas the NO-sensitive guanylyl cyclase inhibitor ODQ did not alter the cordycepin-induced up-regulation of cGMP, the adenylyl cyclase inhibitor SQ22536 completely blocked the cAMP enhancement mediated by cordycepin, indicating that cordycepin had different modes of action. Therefore, our data suggest that the inhibitory effect of cordycepin on platelet aggregation might be associated with the down-regulation of [Ca(2+)](i) and the elevation of cAMP/cGMP production.
