OBJECTIVETo investigate the acute toxicity, lipid reducing effect and mechanism of action of ethanol extracts of Matbuhi Aftimun (E-MA), a classic prescription of Uighur medicine, on hyperlipidemia rat model.

METHODSThe LD50 or maximum tolerance of rats to E-MA was determined by simplified probit method. Hyperlipidemia rat model was established in SD rats by feeding high lipid emulsion, then E-MA at different dosages (0.80 g/kg, 1.60 g/kg and 3.20 g/kg) was given orally to them. The effects of E-MA on model rats' serum lipids, including total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), triglyceride (TG), were observed. And its effects on malondialdehydec (MDA) content, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX), total lipase, including lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and hepato-lipase (HL) activities in the liver homogenate were assayed.

RESULTSThe maximum tolerance of rats to E-MA was 64 g (crude drug)/kg. Compared with the hyperlipidemia model rat, the blood TC level was lower (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), and the MDA content in the liver homogenate was higher in model rat after E-MA treatment (at all the three specified dosages, P < 0.01), but no significant difference was found in comparisons of serum levels of LDL-C, HDL-C and TG (P > 0.05), also on the levels of SOD, GSH-PX and total lipase in the liver homogenate (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONE-MA shows a serum TC reducing effect on hyperlipidemia rat model with low toxicity in mice.

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; toxicity ; Female ; Hyperlipidemias ; blood ; drug therapy ; Hypolipidemic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Mice ; Phytotherapy ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Toxicity Tests, Acute ; Triglycerides ; blood

Objective To study the chronic toxicology of Zukamu granules in rats. Methods A total of 120 healthy SD rats ( male  female = 1 1 ) were randomly divided into the control, low ( 0. 72 g · kg-1 · d-1 ), middle (1.43 g·kg-1·d-1),and high (2.86 g·kg-1·d-1) doses of Zukamu granules. The drug was given orally,once daily for a month,and the controls were given with sodium carboxymethyl cellulose. A 2-week recovery period was allowed after the drug withdrawal. Results Three rats in the high dose group developed diarrhea and loose stools for one day. Compared with the control group,the white blood cells ( WBC) ,red blood cells ( RBC) ,hemoglobin ( HGB) ,hematocrit ( HCT) and chlorine ( Cl-) in the high dose group increased. Prothrombin time ( PT ) , blood urea nitrogen ( BUN ) , alanine aminotransferase ( ALT ) , cholesterol(CHO),and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) decreased markededly in the low,middle and high dose group. No obvious change was found in histopathological examination. Conclusion No obvious toxicity was observed in SD rats treated with Zukamu granules at 1. 4g·kg-1·d-1(equivalently to crude drug of 20. 8 g·kg-1·d-1) given orally for one month.