Korean J Physiol Pharmacol.  2012 Feb;16(1):49-57. 10.4196/kjpp.2012.16.1.49.

Acute Toxicity and General Pharmacological Action of QGC EXT

• Lee JM
• Im WJ
• Nam YJ
• Oh KH
• Lim JC
• Whang WK
• Sohn UD

• KMID: 2285440
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4196/kjpp.2012.16.1.49

Abstract

It has been shown that QGC isolated and purified from Rumecis folium found protective effects of gastritis and esophagitis which EXT is an ethanol extract of it. We examined acute toxicity and the general pharmacological action of QGC EXT to search for any side effects of it in rats, mice, guinea pigs, and cats. In a single dose toxicity study, QGC EXT didn't show toxicological effects in rats and mice, and the LD50 was over 5 g/kg in both animals, and there were also no changes in weight, feed and water intake during these toxicological experimental periods. We examined the general pharmacological action on central controlled behavior responses, and peripheral organs including blood pressure, heart rate, respiration and gastrointestinal system, We found that there were no significant changes in body temperature, locomotors activity, stereotyped behaviors, sleeping time, and convulsion. In other studies, writhing reaction, normal body temperature, there did not appear to be any changes. The large intestine movement and electrical field stimulation-induced contraction was not changes by its EXT. In addition, the influences on blood pressure, heart rates, and respiration by QGC EXT were not found. These results indicate that QGC EXT may be very safe as a new drug, since its LD50 was very high over 5 g/kg and any side effects were not found.

Keyword

QGC; General Pharmacological action; Side effect

MeSH Terms

Animals
Blood Pressure
Body Temperature
Cats
Contracts
Drinking
Esophagitis
Ethanol
Gastritis
Guinea Pigs
Heart Rate
Intestine, Large
Lethal Dose 50
Mice
Rats
Respiration
Seizures
Stereotyped Behavior
Ethanol

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 The effect of QGC EXT on the weight (A), feed intake (B), and water intake (C) in rats. Both male and female used 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 5 g/kg in each dose, respectively. Any changes were not found between the treated and control groups.

• 

  Fig. 2 The effect of QGC EXT on the weight (A), feed intake (B), and water intake (C) in mice. Both male and female used 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 5 g/kg in each dose, respectively. No changes were found among the treated and control groups.

• 

  Fig. 3 The effect of QGC EXT on esophageal (A) and lower esophageal smooth muscle (B) in cats. The muscle strips were stretched 2.5 g. to bring them to near condition of optimal force development and equilibrated. The contraction did not occur in the dose of QGC EXT 0.01, 0.03, or 0.05 mg/ml. The contraction occurred in the dose of acetylcholine (10-5 M) in esophageal smooth muscle and LES.

• 

  Fig. 4 The dose response curve of acetylcholine on esophageal muscle (A) and lower esophageal sphinctor (B) in cats. Concentration-response curves of acetylcholine were obtained either in the absence and presence of QGC EXT. Treatment of acetylcholine with 10-7, 10-6, 10-5 M to esophageal smooth muscle and LES, the concentration-dependent contraction was exhibited. There was no change by treatment groupo with doses of 0.01, 0.03, 0.05 mg/ml QGC EXT.

• 

  Fig. 5 The time course of Ach 10-7 M (A), and QGC EXT (B) effect of esophageal smooth muscle of cats. When treated 10-7 M by acetylcholine, the maximum contraction occurred at 30 seconds, and then maintained itself during 20 min. QGC EXT itself did not produce the contraction.

• 

  Fig. 6 The effect GQC EXT on the changes of mean blood pressure in rats. When administration of QGC was given at doses of 10, 30, 50 mg, there was no change in mean blood pressure. When phenylephrine 10 µg/kg was administered the mean blood pressure increased in 10 minutes and recovered, sustaining itself for several hours. *p<0.05 vs. control (-30 min).

• 

  Fig. 7 The effect GQC EXT on the changes of heart rates in rat. When administration of QGC was given at doses of 10, 30, 50 mg, there was no change in mean heart rate. When phenylephrine 10 µg/kg was administered, the mean heart rate decreased in 10 minutes and sustained itself for several hours afterwards. *p<0.05 vs. control (-30 min).

• 

  Fig. 8 The effect of GQC EXT on the changes of respiration rate. When administration of QGC was given at doses of 10, 30, 50 mg, there was no change in respiratory rate in the presence or absence of phenylephrine (10 µg/kg).

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