title: Rhein exhibits antioxidative effects similar to Rhubarb in a rat model of traumatic brain injury.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The brain is secondarily harmed by pathological, physiological, and biological reactions that are caused by traumatic brain injury (TBI). Rhein, a significant composition of Rhubarb, is a well-known traditional Chinese treatment method and has a strong oxidation-resisting characteristic, but Rhein's mechanism remains unclear.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study aimed to identify Rhein in the brain tissues of TBI model of rats, and confirm whether Rhein induced an antioxidative effect similar to its parent medicine, Rhubarb. First, the ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method was applied to identify Rhein in the brain tissue of the controlled cortical impact (CCI) rats after intra-gastric administration of Rhubarb. Further, for the purpose of calculating the oxidant stress of the CCI rats, the malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione disulfide (GSSG), as well as the proportion of glutathione (GSH)/GSSG were measured in the brain tissues.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that Rhein was absorbed in the brain tissues of CCI rats. Rhubarb and rhein elevated the SOD, CAT activities, GSH level, and GSH/GSSG ratio, and diminished the MDA and GSSG levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The data demonstrated that Rhubarb and Rhein had the potential to be used as a neuroprotective drug for TBI, and that Rhein induced an antioxidative effect similar to its parent medicine, Rhubarb.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Ethnopharmacology, Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 87 Xiangya Road, Changsha, 410008, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Hunan Agricultural Product Processing Institute, Hunan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and Hunan Food Test and Analysis Center, Changsha, 410125, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Huiying
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Ethnopharmacology, Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 87 Xiangya Road, Changsha, 410008, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Zian
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Ethnopharmacology, Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 87 Xiangya Road, Changsha, 410008, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Ethnopharmacology, Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 87 Xiangya Road, Changsha, 410008, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Chunhu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Ethnopharmacology, Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 87 Xiangya Road, Changsha, 410008, People's Republic of China. wangyang_xy87@163.com.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Ethnopharmacology, Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 87 Xiangya Road, Changsha, 410008, People's Republic of China. wdsh66@aliyun.com.
authors.forename: Dongsheng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D000070642:Brain Injuries, Traumatic / Q000378:metabolism*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008297:Male; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012250:Rheum / Q000737:chemistry*; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts
keywords: Neuroprotective effect; Oxidative stress; Rhein; Rhubarb; Traumatic brain injury