Study on Cystoprotek

[MastCells]

No control group, unfortunately, but it is just a small pilot study.

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Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol. 2005 January-March;18(1):183-188.

A pilot open label study of Cystoprotek(R) in interstitial cystitis.

Theoharides TC, Sant GR.

Departments of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Biochemistry, and Internal Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston.

Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a disorder of the urinary bladder characterized by urgency, frequency, nocturia and suprapubic pain. IC occurs primarily in women and symptoms are exacerbated by stress, ovulatory hormones and certain foods. IC pathogenesis is unknown, but the most consistent findings involve some dysfunction of the bladder glycosaminoglycan (GAG) protective layer and a high number of activated bladder mast cells. There is no effective therapy even through intravesical administration of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) or oral pentosanpolysulfate (PPS) have had variable success. A dietary supplement, CystoProtek(R), was formulated with the natural GAG components chondroitin sulfate and sodium hyaluronate to provide urothelial cytoprotection, together with the flavonoid quercetin that has anti-inflammatory properties and inhibits activation of mast cells. Thirty-seven female patients diagnosed by the NIDDK criteria who had failed all forms of therapy took six softgel CystoProtek(R) capsules per day for 6 months. Global assessment scale was reduced from 9.0 ± 2.9 to 4.3 ± 2.1 (p <0.05); moreover, the OLeary/Sant Symptom Index decreased from 15.3 ± 3.1 to 6.9 ± 4.2 (p <0.05) and the Problem Index from 13.1 ± 3.7 to 5.4 ± 4.0 (p <0.05). These results are very promising and warrant a larger study that may permit further analyses with respect to other, especially atopic, comorbid diseases.

PMID: 15698523 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

[webslave]

Yes. Underpowered, no placebo controls, no double blinding etc. It's really just marketing. They are welcome to re-approach us for advertizing if and when they ever come up with some solid science.