title: A comparative study on the tissue distributions of rhubarb anthraquinones in normal and CCl4-injured rats orally administered rhubarb extract.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study comparatively investigated the tissue distributions of rhubarb anthraquinone derivatives (AQs) to examine whether they undergo different uptakes in normal or CCl(4)-induced liver-damaged rats, to explore possible reasons for the different toxicities of AQs in pathological model rats and normal rats at the tissue distribution level.
  
  
  METHODS
  The total rhubarb extract (14.49 g kg(-1) of body weight per day based on the quantity of crude material) was administrated orally to normal and model rats for 12 weeks. The concentrations of free AQs in tissues were quantitated by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS). After drug withdrawal for 4 weeks, tissue distributions were again determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The five free AQs-aloe-emodin, rhein, emodin, chrysophanol and physcion--were detected in the liver, kidney and spleen, while only rhein, aloe-emodin and emodin reached the quantitative limit. The tissue distributions of rhein (p < 0.001), aloe-emodin (p < 0.001) and emodin (p < 0.05) in normal rats were higher than those in model rats with rhein>aloe-emodin>emodin in kidney and spleen tissues and aloe-emodin > rhein > emodin in liver tissues. Free AQs were not detected in the tissues after drug withdrawal for 4 weeks.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that the tissue toxicity of AQs in normal animals is higher than that in pathological model animals with little accumulative toxicity of rhubarb. The results are concordant with the traditional Chinese theory of You Gu Wu Yun recorded first in Su Wen, a classical Chinese medical treatise.
authors: China Military Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, 302 Military Hospital, Beijing 100039, PR China.
authors: Fang
authors: F
authors: Fang
authors: Jia-bo
authors: JB
authors: Wang
authors: Yan-ling
authors: YL
authors: Zhao
authors: Cheng
authors: C
authors: Jin
authors: Wei-jun
authors: WJ
authors: Kong
authors: Hai-ping
authors: HP
authors: Zhao
authors: Hong-juan
authors: HJ
authors: Wang
authors: Xiao-he
authors: XH
authors: Xiao
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D000880:Anthraquinones / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000633:toxicity; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000633:toxicity; D004642:Emodin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D018517:Plant Roots; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012250:Rheum / Q000737:chemistry; D013154:Spleen / Q000378:metabolism; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D000880:Anthraquinones; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; C518327:aloe emodin; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride; C008905:physcione; D004642:Emodin; C027113:chrysophanic acid; C020491:rhein