title: Antirejection effect of Herba Asari extract in rats after cardiac allograft implantation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We studied the antirejection effect of asarinin, the extract of Herba Asari, in rats that underwent cardiac allograft implantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rats received either olive oil (as a placebo control) or cyclosporine, with various amounts of asarinin or a combination of asarinin and cyclosporine daily through oral administration. 102 recipient SD rats were divided randomly into 7 groups: 1) group A, treated with 8 ml/kg olive oil per day; 2) group B, treated with 2.5 mg/kg cyclosporin A (CsA) each day; 3) group C, treated with 5 mg/kg cyclosporin A (CsA) each day; 4) group D1, treated with 12.5 mg/kg asarinin each day; 5) group D2, treated with 25 mg/kg asarinin each day; 6) group D3, treated with 50 mg/kg asarinin each day; 7) group E, treated with 12.5 mg/kg asarinin and 2.5 mg/kg CsA each day. Allograft survival was observed in each group of rats. On the seventh day posttransplantation; we analyzed weights, pathological lesions, and the levels of interleukin (IL)-2, interferon (IFN)-gamma, IL-4, and IL-10 in peripheral blood.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The survival time of donor hearts in the asarinin groups was significantly prolonged (P < .01) when compared with the control group (7.8 +/- 0.7 days). The weights of rats increased in group C, group D2, group D3, and group E at 7 days after operation. Pathological lesions were significantly less severe. The levels of IL-2 and IFN-gamma decreased remarkably (P < .01), while those of IL-4 and IL-10 were not affected (P > .05) in the asarinin groups (D2 and D3).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Asarinin decreased peripheral blood concentrations of IL-2 and IFN-gamma with prolongation of allograft heart survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150086, PR China. drzhanglili@163.com
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004149:Dioxoles / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006085:Graft Survival; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000276:immunology*; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood; D017705:Lignans / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D004149:Dioxoles; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D007376:Interleukin-2; D017705:Lignans; D010936:Plant Extracts; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D016572:Cyclosporine; C054125:sesamin