title: A Study on the Single-dose Oral Toxicity of Super Key in Sprague-Dawley Rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was performed to analyze the single-dose oral toxicity of the super key (processed sulfur).
  
  
  METHODS
  All experiments were conducted at Medvill, an institution authorized to perform non-clinical studies, under the Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) regulations. In order to investigate the oral toxicity of super key We administered it orally to Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. The SD rats were divided into four groups of five male and five female animals per group: group 1 being the control group and groups 2, 3, and 4 being the experimental groups. Doses of super key 500 mg/kg, 1,000 mg/kg and 2,000 mg/kg were administered to the experimental groups, and a dose of normal saline solution, 10 mL/kg, was administered to the control group. We examined the survival rates, weights, clinical signs, gross findings and necropsy findings. This study was conducted under the approval of the Institutional Animal Ethics Committee. (Approval number: A01-14018).
  
  
  RESULTS
  No deaths or abnormalities occurred in any of the four groups. Although slight decreases in the weights of some female rats were noted, no significant changes in weights or differences in the gross findings between the control group and the experimental groups were observed. To check for abnormalities in organs, we used microscopy to examine representative histological sections of each specified organ; the results showed no significant differences in any of the organs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this research showed that administration of 500 ─ 2,000 mg/kg of super key did not cause any changes in the weights or in the results of necropsy examinations. Neither did it result in any mortalities. The above findings suggest that treatment with super key is relatively safe. Further studies on this subject are needed to yield more concrete evidence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Korean Rehabilitation Medicine, Wonkwang University Gwangju Korean Medical Hospital, Gwangju, Korea.
authors.forename: Jinhee
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Acupuncture & Moxibustion Medicine, Wonkwang University Gwangju Korean Medical Hospital, Gwangju, Korea ; Nervous & Muscular System Disease Clinical Research Center of Wonkwang University Gwangju Korean Medical Hospital, Gwangju, Korea.
authors.forename: Jongcheol
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Acupuncture & Moxibustion Medicine, Wonkwang University Gwangju Korean Medical Hospital, Gwangju, Korea ; Nervous & Muscular System Disease Clinical Research Center of Wonkwang University Gwangju Korean Medical Hospital, Gwangju, Korea.
authors.forename: Sungchul
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
keywords: herbal medicine; oral toxicity; super key (processed sulfur); toxicity test