Korean J Vet Res.  2014 Mar;54(1):31-38.

Effect of repeated Paecilomyces japonica treatment on rats

• Kim YB
• Hong DH
• Cho ES
• Im W
• Kim IH
• Son HY

Abstract

Cordyceps is a fungus used as a traditional medicine in China, Japan, and Korea. Paecilomyces (P.) japonica is a new cordyceps that was recently cultivated on silkworm pupae in Korea. The present study evaluated the toxicological effects of P. japonica in rats. Forty rats were treated with oral doses of P. japonica (0, 20, 100, or 500 mg/kg/day) for 4 weeks. Twenty additional rats were treated with 0 or 500 mg/kg/day of P. japonica for 4 weeks and then maintained for 2 weeks without treatment. Clinical signs, body weight, food and water consumption, and organ weight as well as hematology, serum biochemistry, and histopathology data were examined. Body weight gain of the group treated with 500 mg/kg/day was significantly reduced. Microscopically, karyomegaly, single cell necrosis, and mitosis were observed in the renal tubular epithelium of all treated groups. In conclusion, P. japonica caused a reduction of body weight and renal injury in rats. The no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) of P. japonica was less than 20 mg/kg/day.

Keyword

body weight; karyomegaly; Paecilomyces japonica; rat; renal toxicity

MeSH Terms

Animals
Biochemistry
Body Weight
Bombyx
China
Cordyceps
Drinking
Epithelium
Fungi
Hematology
Japan
Korea
Medicine, Traditional
Mitosis
Necrosis
No-Observed-Adverse-Effect Level
Organ Size
Paecilomyces*
Pupa
Rats*