Acute effects of huperzine A and tacrine on rat liver.
OBJECTIVE
To observe the acute effects of huperzine A and tacrine on rat liver.


METHODS
Changes of liver coefficient, serum biochemistry, and histopathology were detected after single dose. In vitro cytotoxicity was assessed by determining extracellular and intracellular amount of lactate dehydrogenase in cultured hepatocytes.


RESULTS
Both huperzine A and tacrine raised liver coefficient and increased serum aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase. Tacrine induced liver histopathologic changes. The acute effects of huperzine A on liver could be redressed by atropine, while effects of tacrine on liver could not. Concentration-dependent in vitro cytotoxicity occurred with tacrine, but not with huperzine A.


CONCLUSIONS
The acute effects of huperzine A on rat liver are not related to hepatotoxicity. The acute effects of tacrine on rat liver are related to hepatotoxicity.
Ma
Xiao-Chao
XC
State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 200031.
Xin
Jian
J
Wang
Hai-Xue
HX
Zhang
Ting
T
Tu
Zeng-Hong
ZH
D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000470:Alkaloids; D000818:Animals; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013619:Tacrine / Q000494:pharmacology*
D000470:Alkaloids; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; C050426:huperzine A; D013619:Tacrine; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase