Oxymatrine attenuates intestinal ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats.
OBJECTIVE
Intestinal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) is a common and serious clinical condition. The anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic properties of oxymatrine, the extract from a traditional Chinese herb, Sophora flavescens Ait, have been shown to protect the liver from I/R injury and attenuate colitis. The objective of this study was to investigate if oxymatrine could attenuate intestinal I/R injury induced in rats.


METHODS
The experimental design consisted of three groups of 24 Wistar rats each: a sham-operation group (control group), a group subjected to intestinal I/R and then given saline (saline group), and a group subjected to intestinal I/R and then given oxymatrine (oxymatrine group). Intestinal I/R was induced by occluding the superior mesenteric artery for 45 min. Six rats from each group were killed at selected time points, and blood and intestinal samples were collected.


RESULTS
Morphological alteration, reduction of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (gamma-GGT) activity, and increased cell apoptosis confirmed intestinal I/R injury. The oxymatrine group had a significantly lower histological score and apoptosis index than the saline group, demonstrating that the preadministration of oxymatrine attenuated gut damage. Moreover, oxymatrine inhibited the production of lipid peroxides (LPO), decreased the serum levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, and downregulated expression of phosphorylated p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, Fas, and FasL, which had been elevated by I/R.


CONCLUSIONS
These results provide further evidence of the anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic activities of oxymatrine, which may become a potent drug for protecting the intestines against I/R injury.
Zhao
Jinpeng
J
Department of General Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
Yu
Shoujiang
S
Tong
Liquan
L
Zhang
Feng
F
Jiang
Xian
X
Pan
Shangha
S
Jiang
Hongchi
H
Sun
Xueying
X
D000470:Alkaloids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D015153:Blotting, Western; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein / Q000097:blood; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D017538:Mesenteric Artery, Superior; D011807:Quinolizines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000097:blood; D000093842:Matrines
D000470:Alkaloids; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; D011807:Quinolizines; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; C037573:oxymatrine; D000093842:Matrines