title: Antitoxic effect of Veratrilla baillonii on the acute toxicity in mice induced by Aconitum brachypodum, one of the genus Aconitum.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Aconitum brachypodum Diels (Family Ranunculaceae) is well known for both its good therapy and high toxicity in Yunnan and Sichuan provinces in China. Noticeably, Veratrilla baillonii Franch (Family Gentianaceae), an ethnodrug used by Naxi and Lisu nationalities in Yunnan Province, has been widely considered to possess antitoxic effects on Aconitum plants in herbal therapy and folklore medicines.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present study was conducted to determine the detoxic activities of the water decoction of Veratrilla baillonii Franch (WVBF) on the the chloroform fraction of Aconitum brachypodum Diels (CFA) induced acute toxicity in mice. The physiological (symptoms, body weight, etc.) as well as pathological and clinical biochemistry parameters were assessed and used as the markers for the toxicity. (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) based metabolic approach was adopted to further discuss the mechanism.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The acute poisoning effects of CFA on mice were observed at doses of 20-62.5mgkg(-1), resulting in an oral median lethal dose (LD50) of 41.3mgkg(-1). Histologically, distinct degenerative changes of the heart, liver and kidney were observed. The biochemistry parameters in the serum as well as metabolites in heart and brain were also altered. However, WVBF (25-200mg/kg) attenuated all the acute toxicity and pathological changes, properly regulated the biochemistry parameters, and reversed the concentration alterations for some metabolites in the heart and brain of mice induced by 40mg/kg of CFA to a certain extent.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  WVBF significantly reduced the onset of the CFA toxicity. This study may contribute to further understanding of the toxicological and pharmacological profiles of Aconitum brachypodum and the detoxic property of Veratrilla baillonii.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan 430074, PR China.
authors.forename: Yue-Bin
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan 430074, PR China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan 430074, PR China.
authors.forename: Huan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan 430074, PR China.
authors.forename: Mi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan 430074, PR China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan 430074, PR China. Electronic address: xianju@mail.scuec.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xian-Ju
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Beijing 100850, PR China.
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D031841:Aconitum / Q000506:poisoning*; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D029965:Gentianaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010939:Plant Poisoning / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts
keywords: Aconitine; Aconitum brachypodum; Detoxication; Veratrilla baillonii