AIM: The application of strychnine (S) is limited due to its toxicity; strychnine N-oxide (SNO) is a derivative of strychnine. The aim was to employ zebrafish embryos to investigate and compare the developmental toxicity induced by S and SNO. METHODS: The toxicity of S and SNO was examined through the hatching rate and survival rate. Morphological changes of the zebrafish were observed with a dissecting microscope. Apoptosis was detected through acridine orange (AO) staining and flow cytometry. Apoptotic genes were measured by RT-PCR. RESULTS: Embryo malformation was observed in the embryos exposed to S at 200 μmol·L(-1). When SNO concentration was increased to 1 mmol·L(-1), scoliolosis, and pericardial edema could be seen in some embryos. Results from fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry analysis showed that S at 200 μmol·L(-1) induced apoptosis, whereas the apoptotic rate in the SNO-treated group (200 μmol·L(-1)) was much lower than that in the S group. RT-PCR analysis showed that p53 mRNA expression and the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 in the S group were significantly altered compared with the control group (*P < 0.05). Moreover, Bax mRNA expression in both S and SNO group were significantly different from that in the control group (**P < 0.01). CONCLUSION These results lead to the conclusion that SNO has significantly lower toxicity than S in zebrafish embryos.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cyclic N-Oxides ; toxicity ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; toxicity ; Female ; Male ; Oxidative Stress ; drug effects ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; Strychnine ; analogs & derivatives ; toxicity ; Strychnos ; adverse effects ; chemistry ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Zebrafish ; embryology ; genetics ; metabolism ; Zebrafish Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism

Strychons nuxvomica is widely used by clinic and individual owing to its officinal value. Since toxic dose and therapeutic dose are very close, the poisoning cases are reported frequently. In this review, based on the recent available papers published in the PubMed and CNKI about Strychons nuxvomica, a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, we present the major current approaches in the field of composition, toxicology, pharmacokinetics, decreasing toxicity and increasing efficacy, in order to guide the use of S. nuxvomica in the clinic.
Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacokinetics ; toxicity ; Humans ; Mice ; Strychnos nux-vomica ; chemistry

Because of its officinal value, strychnos is widely used by clinic and individual. Since toxic dose and therapeutic dose are very close, strychnos poisoning cases are frequently reported. In this paper the chemical component, toxic dose, mechanisms of toxicity, poisoning symptom and pathological changes after strychnos poisoning are reviewed.
Alkalies/poisoning* ; Animals ; Central Nervous System/drug effects* ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Forensic Medicine ; Humans ; Immune System/drug effects* ; Lethal Dose 50 ; Plants, Medicinal/chemistry* ; Seeds/chemistry* ; Strychnine/poisoning* ; Strychnos/toxicity*