Fructus seu Radix
Camptothecae Acuminatae
Source
The fruit, bark, and leaf of Camptotheca acuminata Decne., family Nyssaceae.
Characteristics
A
tree, bark grey white, with lenticels. Simple leaf long-ovate and alternate.
Flowers unisexual monoecious, capitulum spherical. Achene narrow-oblong,
with narrow wings bright yellow-brown, aggregated to globules, 2-3 cm
in diameter. Bitter in taste, cold in nature, toxic, and attributive to
stomach, liver and urinary bladder channels.
Indication
Clear away heat and toxic material, disperse the lumps and relieve swelling:
For stomach cancer, primary liver cancer, lymphoma, leukemia, bladder
cancer, also for the malignant tumour in the oral cavity and maxillary
region, carcinoma of esophagus and lung.
Pharmacological
Action
1. Both camptothecine and hydroxycanaptothecine are anticarcinogenic components,
which inhibit polymerase of DNA or damage DNA directly.
2. They distribute mainly in the digestive tract, kidney and bone marrow,
and stimulate the digestive and urinary tract and inhibit the bone 
marrow.
Their toxicity may be reduced by mono-amine glycyrrhetate, Rhizoma Ligustici
Chuanxiong and Pollen Typhae.
Administration
Camptothecinum injection: 5mg IM, bid or 15-2Omg added in normal saline
20ml IV, once every other week, 200-250mg as one course; 20mg bladder
perfusion twice a week or 5-10mg intracancerous injection qod for bladder
cancer.
Camptothecinum
suspension: 2.5-5.0mg in 50% glucose 40ml IV once every other week, 50-100mg
as one course, maintenance dose 2.5mg every week, for liver cancer, leukemia
and lymphoma.
Camptothecinum tablet: 5mg bid, 500mg as one course. Hydroxycamptothecinum
injection: 4-10mg added in normal saline 20ml IVqd or qod, 60-120mg as
one course.