1.Phytochemical and pharmacological studies on Radix Angelica sinensis.
Xiao-Peng CHEN ; Wei LI ; Xue-Feng XIAO ; Lan-Lan ZHANG ; Chang-Xiao LIU
Chinese Journal of Natural Medicines (English Ed.) 2013;11(6):577-587
The roots of Angelica sinensis (RAS), are a Chinese herbal medicine traditionally used in prescriptions for replenishing blood, treating abnormal menstruation, and other women's diseases. It has also been widely marketed as health food for women's care in Asia, and as a dietary supplement in Europe and America. RAS is well-known for its hematopoietic, antioxidant, and immunoregulatory activities. RAS also possesses anti-cancer, memory, radioprotective, and neuroprotective effects. Phytochemical investigations on this plant led to organic acids, phthalides, polysaccharides, and other metabolites. Based on recent animal studies and clinical trials, RAS has been used in the treatment of gynecologic diseases, cardio-cerebrovascular disease, nervous system diseases, and nephrotic syndrome. In this review, the recent phytochemical and pharmacological studies, drug-drug interactions, clinical applications, and toxicity of RAS are summarized.
Angelica sinensis
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adverse effects
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chemistry
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Animals
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Drugs, Chinese Herbal
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adverse effects
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chemistry
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pharmacology
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Humans
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Phytotherapy
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Plant Roots
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chemistry
2.Four cases of toxic liver injury associated with Dictamnus dasycarpus.
Jong Soon JANG ; Eui Geun SEO ; Cheol HAN ; Hee Bok CHAE ; Soon Je KIM ; Jae Dong LEE ; Joon Ho WANG
The Korean Journal of Hepatology 2008;14(2):206-212
We report four cases of toxic hepatitis that occurred after taking a decoction made by boiling down the root of Dictamnus dasycarpus. The four patients had a median age of 60 years, common symptoms of jaundice and general weakness, and stated that they had not consumed alcohol for at least 5 years. The markers of hepatitis A, B, and C were all negative in the patients. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed common bile ducts with normal diameters. Two of the cases were a mother and daughter, and the other two were sporadic. All of them had consumed a decoction made by boiling down the root of Dictamnus dasycarpus five or six times daily until several days before admission. Dictamnus dasycarpus induced liver injury presenting with a benign course lasting less than 1 month after cessation of the causative agent. We suggest that this natural product can cause acute hepatitis in rural areas.
Acute Disease
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Aged
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Dictamnus/*adverse effects
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Female
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Hepatitis, Toxic/*diagnosis/etiology/ultrasonography
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Humans
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Liver Function Tests
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Male
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Middle Aged
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Plant Roots/*adverse effects
3.Evaluation on efficacy-toxicity correlation of aqueous extracts from Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata on diarrheal model rats based on "warmly invigorating spleen Yang" efficacy.
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2014;39(20):4013-4019
The diarrheal rat model was established by orally administering senna. The preventive experiment was concurrent for 6 days. The treatment experiment modeling had lasted for 12 days. The administration started at the 7th day, and lasted for 6 days. During the experiment, efforts were made in symptom score and weighing. After the experiment, hearts, livers, spleens, kidneys, brains, adrenals and thymuses were collected and weighed, lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) and cardiac troponin-I (cTn-I) in serum were detected. The efficacy of aqueousextracts from Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata in preventing and treating rats with diarrheal and its accompanying toxicity were respectively studied. The result shows that aqueous extracts from Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata could improve syndromes of rats with diarrheal. The 50% effective doses (ED50) of preventive and treatment administrations were 1.420 4 g · kg(-1) and 1.048 9 g · kg(-1), respectively. Aqueous extracts from Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata could decrease the ratio of heart to body weight, and increase serum LDH and cTn-I. It was concluded that aqueous extracts from Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata had a specific preventive and treatment effect on rats with diarrheal caused by senna, but with specific toxicity on heart.
Aconitum
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adverse effects
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chemistry
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Animals
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Body Weight
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drug effects
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Diarrhea
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drug therapy
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physiopathology
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Drugs, Chinese Herbal
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administration & dosage
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adverse effects
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Heart
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drug effects
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Humans
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Male
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Plant Roots
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adverse effects
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chemistry
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Rats
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Rats, Wistar
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Spleen
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drug effects
4.Evaluation of in-vitro antibacterial activity and anti-inflammatory activity for different extracts of Rauvolfia tetraphylla L. root bark.
B Ganga RAO ; P Umamaheswara RAO ; E Sambasiva RAO ; T Mallikarjuna RAO ; V S Praneeth D
Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine 2012;2(10):818-821
OBJECTIVETo assess the in-vitro antibacterial activity and anti-inflammatory activity of orally administered different extracts (Hydro-alcoholic, methanolic, ethyl acetate and hexane) of Rauvolfia tetraphylla (R. tetraphylla) root bark in Carrageenan induced acute inflammation in rats.
METHODSIn-vitro antibacterial activity was evaluated for extracts against four Gram positive and four Gram negative bacteria by using cylinder plate assay. Hydro-alcoholic extract (70% v/v ethanol) at 200, 400 and 800 mg/kg doses and methanolic, ethyl acetate and hexane extracts at doses 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg were tested for anti-inflammatory activity in Carrageenan induced rat paw oedema model and paw thickness was measured every one hour up to 6 hrs.
RESULTSAll extracts of R. tetraphylla root bark showed good zone of inhibition against tested bacterial strains. In Carrageenan induced inflammation model, hydro-alcoholic and methanolic extract of R. tetraphylla root bark at three different doses produced significant (P<0.001) reduction when compared to vehicle treated control group and hexane, ethyl acetate extracts.
CONCLUSIONSIn the present study extracts of R. tetraphylla root bark shows good in-vitro antibacterial activity and in-vivo anti-inflammatory activity in rats.
Animals ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; pharmacology ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents ; pharmacology ; Bacteria ; drug effects ; Carrageenan ; adverse effects ; Disease Models, Animal ; Edema ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; Female ; Male ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Plant Bark ; chemistry ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rauwolfia ; chemistry
5.Comparison of laxative and antioxidant activities of raw, processed and fermented Polygoni Multiflori radix.
Jie YU ; Jie XIE ; Xiao-Jian MAO ; Hua WEI ; Sheng-Lan ZHAO ; Ya-Ge MA ; Na LI ; Rong-Hua ZHAO
Chinese Journal of Natural Medicines (English Ed.) 2012;10(1):63-67
AIM:
To observe the anti-oxidative activity and adverse laxative effect of raw, traditional processed and fermented products of Polygoni Multiflori Radix (PMR), and furthermore, to evaluate the fermentation method used in the processing procedure of PMR.
METHODS:
In vitro ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay was carried out to evaluate the anti-oxidative activity. Modulation of normal defecation and effect on gastrointestinal motility in mice were carried out to investigate their adverse laxative effect.
RESULTS:
Fermented PMR induced less severe laxative adverse effect than Polygoni Multiflori Radix Praeparata (PMRP). PMR fermented with Rhizopus sp. (FB) could modulate the defecation significantly. The gastrointestinal motility was inhibited by PMRP and PMR fermented with Rhizopus oryzae (FA). FA and FB showed better antioxidant activity than PMRP in 50% and 95% ethanol group. Contents of 2, 3, 5, 4'-tetrahydroxy-stilbene-2-O-β-D-glucoside (TSG) were reduced significantly after traditional processing but maintained after fermentation. Emodin and physcion were increased after traditional processing and fermented with Rhizopus oryzae.
CONCLUSION
All processing procedure, including fermentation, might reduce its anti-oxidative activity. However, most of the processed products could lessen the adverse effect on gastrointestinal tract compared to PMR. Fermentation with Rhizopus oryzae was considered as a promising processing method of PMR.
Animals
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Antioxidants
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pharmacology
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Defecation
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drug effects
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Emodin
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adverse effects
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analogs & derivatives
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pharmacology
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Female
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Fermentation
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Gastrointestinal Motility
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drug effects
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Gastrointestinal Tract
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drug effects
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Laxatives
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adverse effects
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Male
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Mice
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Mice, Inbred Strains
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Plant Extracts
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adverse effects
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pharmacology
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Plant Roots
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chemistry
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Polygonum
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adverse effects
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chemistry
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Rhizopus
6.Genetically engineered corn rootworm resistance: potential for reduction of human health effects from pesticides.
Frederick W OEHME ; John A PICKRELL
Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2003;16(1):17-28
OBJECTIVE AND METHODSInsecticide use, grower preferences regarding genetically engineered (GE) corn resistant to corn rootworm (CRW), and the health effects of using various CRW insecticides (organophosphates, pyrethroids, fipronil and carbamates) are reviewed for current and future farm practices.
RESULTSPest damage to corn has been reduced only one-third by insecticide applications. Health costs from insecticide use appear significant, but costs attributable to CRW control are not quantifiable from available data. Methods reducing health-related costs of insecticide-based CRW control should be evaluated. As a first step, organophosphate insecticide use has been reduced as they have high acute toxicity and risk of long-term neurological consequences. A second step is to use agents which more specifically target the CRW.
CONCLUSIONWhereas current insecticides may be poisonous to many species of insects, birds, mammals and humans, a protein derived from Bacillus thurigiensis and produced in plants via genetic modification can target the specific insect of CRW (Coleoptra), sparing other insect and non-insect species from injury.
Animals ; Consumer Product Safety ; Food, Genetically Modified ; Insecta ; Insecticide Resistance ; Insecticides ; adverse effects ; Pest Control, Biological ; economics ; methods ; Plant Roots ; Plants, Genetically Modified ; Zea mays ; genetics ; growth & development
7.Enhanced absorption and inhibited metabolism of emodin by 2, 3, 5, 4'-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-β-D-glucopyranoside: Possible mechanisms for Polygoni Multiflori Radix-induced liver injury.
Qiong YU ; Li-Long JIANG ; Na LUO ; Ya-Xi FAN ; Jiang MA ; Ping LI ; Hui-Jun LI
Chinese Journal of Natural Medicines (English Ed.) 2017;15(6):451-457
Polygoni Multiflori Radix (PMR) has been commonly used as a tonic in China for centuries. However, PMR-associated hepatotoxicity is becoming a safety issue. In our previous in vivo study, an interaction between stilbenes and anthraquinones has been discovered and a hypothesis is proposed that the interaction between stilbene glucoside-enriching fraction and emodin may contribute to the side effects of PMR. To further support our previous in vivo results in rats, the present in vitro study was designed to evaluate the effects of 2, 3, 5, 4'-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (TSG) on the cellular absorption and human liver microsome metabolism of emodin. The obtained results indicated that the absorption of emodin in Caco-2 cells was enhanced and the metabolism of emodin in human liver microsomes was inhibited after TSG treatment. The effects of the transport inhibitors on the cellular emodin accumulation were also examined. Western blot assay suggested that the depressed metabolism of emodin could be attributed to the down-regulation of UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) 1A8, 1A10, and 2B7. These findings definitively demonstrated the existence of interaction between TSG and emodin, which provide a basis for a better understanding of the underlying mechanism for PMR-induced liver injury.
Caco-2 Cells
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Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury
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etiology
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Emodin
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analysis
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metabolism
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Fallopia multiflora
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adverse effects
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Glucosides
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toxicity
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Glucuronosyltransferase
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antagonists & inhibitors
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Humans
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Plant Roots
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Stilbenes
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toxicity
8.Inhibition by Ginseng of Colon Carcinogenesis in Rats.
Shoji FUKUSHIMA ; Hideki WANIBUCHI ; Wei LI
Journal of Korean Medical Science 2001;16(Suppl):S75-S80
The inhibitory effects of ginseng on the development of 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH)-induced aberrant crypt foci (ACF) in the colon were investigated in rats. Male, 6-week-old rats were injected with DMH once a week for 4 weeks. Rats in Groups 1 and 2 were fed diets containing red and white ginseng, rerspectively, at a dose of 1% for 5 weeks, starting one week before the first treatment of DMH. Animals in Groups 3 and 4 received red or white ginseng for 8 weeks starting after DMH treatment. Group 5 served as a carcinogen control group. Numbers of ACF with at least four crypts were significantly reduced in the colon of Group 2 treated with red ginseng combined with DMH. Moreover, rats were injected with DMH 4 times at one-week intervals. They were also fed diets containing 1% red or white ginseng or the control diet throughout 30 days of the experiment. Treatment with red ginseng resulted in a significant decrease of 5- bromo-2'-deoxyuridine labeling indices in colonic crypts comprising ACF. These findings suggest that dietary administration of red ginseng in combination with DMH suppresses colon carcinogenesis in rats, and the inhibition may be associated, in part, with inhibition of cell proliferation, acting on ACF in the colonic mucosa.
1,2-Dimethylhydrazine/adverse effects
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Animal
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Anticarcinogenic Agents/*pharmacology
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Carcinogenicity Tests
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Carcinogens/adverse effects
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Colonic Neoplasms/pathology/*prevention & control
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Male
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*Panax
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Plant Roots
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Precancerous Conditions/pathology/*prevention & control
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Rats
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Rats, Inbred F344
9.Clinical observation on treatment of chronic allograft nephropathy with colquhounia root tablet combined with immunosuppressive protocol.
Xia-yu LI ; Yong-sheng FAN ; Xue-lin HE
Chinese Journal of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine 2008;28(9):810-812
OBJECTIVETo observe the effects of Colquhounia root tablet (CRT) combined with immunosuppressive protocal in treating patients with chronic allograft nephropathy (CAN).
METHODSThirty-three patients of CAN, with urinary protein > or = 1.0 g/24 h and serum creatinine (SCr) > or =150 (micromol/L), were assigned to two groups, the 15 in the treated group treated with CRT combining modified immunosuppressive protocol (IIP) therapy and the 18 in the control group treated with IIP alone, all for 6 months. The clinical efficiency, 24 h urinary protein and clearance of creatinine (CCr) were observed.
RESULTSThe effective rate in the treated group [60% (9/15 cases)] was significantly higher than that in the control group [22.0% (4/18 cases), P < 0.05], and the lowering of 24 h urinary protein in the former was more significant than in the latter at the end of the 3rd and the 6th month of treatment (P < 0.05). At the end of 12-month follow-up, SCr and CCr level were stable in the treated group, while in the control group, SCr level increased and CCr level decreased significantly (P < 0.05), comparisons of the two indexes between the two groups at the end of the therapeutic course and follow-up study all showed significant differences (P < 0.05). Serum creatinine doubling to baseline were seen in 2 patients of the treated group and 7 of the control group. One patient in the treated group and 4 in the control group entered the end stage of renal disease.
CONCLUSIONTherapy with CRT combined IIP seems to be more effective in reducing urinary protein excretion in patients with CAN than that with IIP alone, and a more favorable renal function preserving effect of the former is shown by a short-term follow-up.
Adult ; Aged ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Immunosuppressive Agents ; therapeutic use ; Kidney Diseases ; drug therapy ; immunology ; surgery ; Kidney Transplantation ; adverse effects ; Lamiaceae ; chemistry ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Transplantation, Homologous ; adverse effects ; Young Adult
10.Joint effects of microwave and chromium trioxide on root tip cells of Vicia faba.
Xiao-wei QIAN ; Wei-hua LUO ; Ou-xiang ZHENG
Journal of Zhejiang University. Science. B 2006;7(3):221-227
The mutagenic effects of microwave and chromium trioxide (CrO(3)) on Vicia faba root tip were studied. Micronucleus assay and chromosomal aberration assay were used to determine the mitotic index, the micronucleus frequency and chromosomal aberration frequency of Vicia faba root tip cells induced by microwave and CrO(3). The results showed that the micronucleus frequency decreased, and that the mitotic index and chromosomal aberration frequency showed linear dose responses to CrO(3), in treatment of microwave for 5 s. In microwave of 25 s, the mitotic index decreased, the micronucleus frequency and chromosomal aberration frequency increased with increase of CrO(3) concentration. We concluded that microwave and CrO(3) had antagonistic effect on the mitotic index of Vicia faba root tip cells, but had synergetic effect on micronucleus frequency and chromosomal aberration frequency of Vicia faba root tip cells.
Cells, Cultured
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Chromium Compounds
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toxicity
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Chromosome Aberrations
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drug effects
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radiation effects
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Chromosomes, Plant
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drug effects
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radiation effects
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Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
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Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation
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Micronucleus Tests
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Microwaves
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adverse effects
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Plant Roots
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drug effects
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genetics
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radiation effects
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Vicia faba
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drug effects
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genetics
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radiation effects