title: Mechanism of protective effects of Danshen against iron overload-induced injury in mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza) has been widely prescribed in traditional folk medicine for treatment of hepatic and cardiovascular diseases in China and other Asian countries for several hundred years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty male mice were randomly divided into five groups: control, iron overload, low-dose Danshen (L-Danshen, 3g/kg/day), high-dose Danshen (H-Danshen, 6g/kg/day) and deferoxamine (DFO) groups (n=12 per group). Iron dextran was injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) at 50mg/kg body weight/day to establish the iron overload model. While control mice received saline, mice of the treated groups simultaneously received (i.p.) injections of L-Danshen, H-Danshen or DFO daily for 2 weeks. At the end of the experiment, changes in alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide desmutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured, and histological changes were observed by Prussian blue or hematoxylin and eosin staining of the liver. Apoptosis was detected by terminal-deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated nick end labeling.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Treatment of iron overloaded mice with either low or high doses of Danshen not only significantly attenuated the hepatic dysfunction (ALT/AST levels), decreased the content of MDA and increased the activities of GSH-Px and SOD, it also suppressed apoptosis in hepatocytes. Histopathological examination showed that treatment with Danshen reduced iron deposition and ameliorated pathological changes in the liver of iron overloaded mice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Danshen demonstrated significant protective effects in the liver of iron overloaded mice, which were at least partly due to the decrease of iron deposition and inhibition of lipid peroxidation and hepatocyte apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, 326, Xinshi South Road, Shijiazhuang, 050091 Hebei, China.
authors.forename: Yonggang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Na
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Zhihong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.forename: Juanjuan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Yuanyuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xuejing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jiangyan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jianping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chu
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D021461:Animals, Outbred Strains; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D003676:Deferoxamine / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D019190:Iron Overload / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007505:Iron-Dextran Complex; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D010618:Phenanthrolines / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D027561:Salvia miltiorrhiza; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D010618:Phenanthrolines; C028972:dan-shen root extract; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D007505:Iron-Dextran Complex; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D003676:Deferoxamine