Protective effect of Smilax glabra extract against lead-induced oxidative stress in rats.
BACKGROUND
Smilax glabra Roxb. is a traditional Chinese herb, the rhizome of Smilax glabra has been used in folk medicine for the treatment of lead poisoning.


OBJECTIVE
The present study was conducted to investigate the protective role of Smilax glabra extract (SGE) individually or combined with meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) against the effects of lead acetate on oxidative stress and lead burden in rats.


METHODS
The biochemical parameters and enzymes in different treated rats were determined by commercial kits. The metal concentrations were measured using atomic absorption spectrophotometer.


RESULTS
SGE (300 mg/kg) showed very low toxicity to organs in non-lead exposed rats. Administration of SGE individually had no effect on blood zinc protoporphyrin (ZPP) level but significantly enhanced the glutathione (GSH) content and delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities in lead exposed rats. The co-treatment of SGE and DMSA had a synergism in increasing brain, liver and kidney superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) activities and GSH level, and decreasing oxidized glutathione (GSSG) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) levels. Moreover, the co-treatment could improve the hepatic and renal histopathology changes. SGE as chelating agent showed significant efficiency in reducing blood and tissue lead burden.


CONCLUSIONS
The in vivo results suggested that SGE individually or combined with DMSA exhibited remarkable protective effects on lead-induced oxidative stress and lead burden in rats.
Xia
Daozong
D
College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Binjiang District, Hangzhou, China. xdz_zjtcm@hotmail.com
Yu
Xinfen
X
Liao
Sipei
S
Shao
Qijia
Q
Mou
Huili
H
Ma
Wei
W
D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D000931:Antidotes / Q000494:pharmacology; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001822:Body Burden; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D002614:Chelating Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000032:analysis; D005978:Glutathione / Q000097:blood; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D007855:Lead Poisoning / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000097:blood; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D010636:Phenols / Q000032:analysis; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000623:Porphobilinogen Synthase / Q000097:blood; D011524:Protoporphyrins / Q000097:blood; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D027343:Rhizome; D032281:Smilax; D004113:Succimer / Q000494:pharmacology; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000378:metabolism
D000931:Antidotes; D000975:Antioxidants; D002614:Chelating Agents; D005419:Flavonoids; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D010636:Phenols; D010936:Plant Extracts; D011524:Protoporphyrins; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; C017803:zinc protoporphyrin; D004113:Succimer; D002374:Catalase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D000623:Porphobilinogen Synthase; D005978:Glutathione; C008261:lead acetate