RESEARCH PROFILES

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CRANEX as an Agent in the Treatment
of Urinary Tract Infections

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By Anita Shama
Canadian Spinal Research Organization

One of the greatest problems facing individuals with a spinal cord injury is bladder infections. They are caused mainly by E. coli bacteria, which are normally found in the intestinal tract but manage to make their way into the sterile environment of the urinary tract. The bacteria are able to cling to the wall of the bladder and multiply, thereby causing a bladder infection. Currently, antibiotics are being used to treat this condition, which creates a risk of developing bacteria that are resistant to treatment.

A possible alternative to antibiotics is CRANEX. One of the main ingredients is cranberry extract which serves two purposes. First, it contains a chemical called hippuric acid which makes the urine more acidic, creating an unfavorable growth environment for bacteria to flourish. It also contains large amounts of specific compounds, called condensed tannins or proanthocyanidins, which prevent E. coli from attaching to the cell wall of the urinary tract, a major step in the infection process. It does this by inhibiting the growth of the receptors on the end of the arm-like appendages, called pili, that allows the bacteria to bind to the cell wall. This causes them to become slippery, which makes it easy to flush the bacteria out of the system and avoid infection.

The anti-adherance activity found with CRANEX allows it to be used as a substitute for antibiotics. Treatment involves the administration of CRANEX capsules four times daily. Human clinical trials are currently in the works to determine the effectiveness of this type of treatment in the reduction of urinary tract infections.