title: Study on the in vivo toxic mechanism of xixin based on trace elements determination by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Xixin has been widely used as a traditional Chinese medicine for headache, toothache and inflammatory diseases. Clinical investigation indicated that adverse drug reactions occurred with an overdose of xixin, but the toxic mechanism of xixin in vivo based on trace elements has not been researched yet.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To explore the in vivo toxic mechanism of xixin induced by trace elements.
  
  
  METHODS
  The contents of trace elements in the serum and liver of mice were determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) after obtaining xixin extracts. Principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) were performed between the trace elements' content and dosage using the software GeneSpring 12.1 to analyze the main toxic elements in vivo.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Trace elements' contents were obviously raised after xixin extracts were taken as a dosage of 150 mg/mL and 50 mg/mL, respectively. Na, Ca, Cu and Cd in serum and Ca and Zn in liver were the main trace elements inducing the toxic reaction of xixin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Xixin possesses the potential function of indirectly upregulating trace elements in vivo. This study, for the first time, elucidated the in vivo toxic mechanism of xixin based on trace elements. This method could also be utilized in the research of corresponding aspects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chinese Medicine, College of Pharmacy, Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Dalian 116600, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Bao
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yong-Rui
authors.affiliation: Department of Chinese Medicine, College of Pharmacy, Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Dalian 116600, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xin-Xin
authors.affiliation: Department of Chinese Medicine, College of Pharmacy, Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Dalian 116600, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Wang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Shuai
authors.affiliation: Department of Chinese Medicine, College of Pharmacy, Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Dalian 116600, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Meng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xian-Sheng
authors.affiliation: College of Basic Medical Science, China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Zhu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Rui-Qing
authors.affiliation: Department of Chinese Medicine, College of Pharmacy, Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Dalian 116600, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yue-Ming
authors.affiliation: Department of Chinese Medicine, College of Pharmacy, Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Dalian 116600, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Cai
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lin
keywords: Asarum heterotropoides Fr. Schmidt var. mandshuricum (Maxim.) Kitag; cluster analysis; inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry; principal component analysis; toxicity