Asarum Target Organ Toxicity Study

[OBJECTIVE] To study the acute toxicity,long-term toxicity and the toxic target organs of Asarum[METHODS](1)Using the method of the acute toxicity test,we observed the acute toxicity of the mice to which two kind of Asarum powder were given disposably and obtained the lethal dose50, then selected the smaller for the following-up experiment.(2)The long-term toxicity test:Ig six days a week for three months(the doses were1.5g/kg,0.75g/kg,0.2g/kg, respectively),During the administration periods, the skin, activities, feces properties, body weight, food intake of those animals were observed. The blood biochemistry,hematology,organ indexes and histopathology(only the final period and the withdrawal period) were measured at the first month(the middle period), the third month(the final period) and one month after stopping treatment(the withdrawal period) to find out the toxic target organs.(3) Observing the effects of the Asarum heterotropoides Fr. Schmidt. var. mandshuricum(Maxim.)kitag. powder5g/kg on anesthetic rats’ electrocardiogram and adopting the test of subthreshold dose of sodium pentobarbital,we studyed the acute toxic target organs.[RESULTS](1)The acute toxicity test It was determined that the LD50of the Asarum heterotropoides Fr. Schmidt. var. mandshuricum(Maxim.)kitag. powder and Asarum sieboldii Miq. powder for mice ig is4.123g/kg and4.513g/kg respectively,it’s clear that the Asarum heterotropoides Fr. Schmidt. var. mandshuricum(Maxim.)kitag. powder is more poisonous than the Asarum sieboldii Miq. powder. The signs of toxicity of the two kinds of Asarum powder were similar.All the death mice have the symptoms of dysphoria and skipping before death and fi-nally died of whole body spasm.(2)The Long-term toxicity test results showed that the high dose group could slow down the weight increase of the male rats.Comparing with the control group,the data had statistic significance,but recovered gradually in the withdrawal period. the data of blood biochemistry,hematology of rats were changed in some extent,but they were all in normal range. Liver indexes of the treated were significantly increased at the first month(the middle period),the third month(the final period) within a certain range of treating time and does,but became normal one month after stopping treatment.In addition, some organ indexes of the final period and the withdrawal period were also significantly different from control group, but there is no obvious dose and time-effect relationship.HistoPathology manifests:liver Oval cell proliferation and focal clear cells were observed both in the final period and in the withdrawal period in high dose rats.But the incidence rate of liver Oval cell proliferation decreased in the withdrawal period,and the incidence rate of focal clear cell increased.The incidence rate in the females was higher than that in the males. In addition to above those,no other obvious anomaly was found in all periods.(3)The Asarum heterotropoides Fr. Schmidt. var. mandshuricum(Maxim.)kitag. powder5g/kg had no obvious effects on the anesthetic rats’electrocardiogram. The number of sleep mice in each dose of the Asarum heterotropoides Fr. Schmidt. var. Mandshuricum(Maxim.)kitag. Powder weren’t impacted.[CONCLUSION] The Long-term toxic target organs of the Asarum heterotropoides Fr. Schmidt. var. mandshuricum(Maxim.)kitag. powder lay mainly in the liver,it can cause proliferation of the liver oval cell and focal clear cells.The acute toxic target organ seems not to be the heart,and the rats also exhibited no obvious symptoms of poisoning. Since no inhibition of mice’s Central Nervous System and no classical signs of respiratory distress was observed, instead the mice were very excited,we concluded that the direct causes of mice death was not central inhibition,which did not correspond with early researcher’s viewpoints. The details of its mechanism remain to be further discussed.