Planta Med 2002; 68(12): 1077-1081
DOI: 10.1055/s-2002-36345
Original Paper
Pharmacology
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Dihydroisotanshinone I Protects Against Menadione-Induced Toxicity in a Primary Culture of Rat Hepatocytes

Siu-Po Ip1 , Hui Yang1, 2 , Han-Dong Sun3 , Chun-Tao Che1
  • 1School of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
  • 2Department of Applied Chemistry, Yunnan University, Kunming, P.R. China
  • 3Laboratory of Phytochemistry, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, P.R. China
Further Information

Publication History

Received: March 15, 2002

Accepted: July 19, 2002

Publication Date:
20 December 2002 (online)

Abstract

Dihydroisotanshinone I is a phenanthrenequinone derivative isolated from the roots of Salvia trijuga Diels. The present study demonstrated the hepatoprotective effect of dihydroisotanshinone I against menadione-induced cytotoxicity in a primary culture of rat hepatocytes. Pretreating the cells with dihydroisotanshinone I at concentrations ranging from 2.5 μM to 20 μM for 24 hours caused dose-dependent protection against hepatotoxicity induced by menadione. Intracellular glutathione level and activity of DT-diaphorase have been suggested to play important roles in menadione-induced cytotoxicity. However, treating the hepatocytes with 20 μM dihydroisotanshinone I for 24 hours did not cause a significant change in glutathione level and DT-diaphorase activity. On the contrary, adding dihydroisotanshinone I to freshly isolated hepatocytes at concentrations between 50 nM to 200 nM inhibited NADH-induced superoxide production dose-dependently as indicated by the decrease of lucigenin-amplified chemiluminescence. In addition, dihydroisotanshinone I at concentrations ranging from 5 μM to 20 μM inhibited tert-butyl hydroperoxide-induced lipid peroxidation dose-dependently in isolated hepatocytes as indicated by the level of malondialdehyde. These results suggest that the protective action of dihydroisotanshinone I against menadione-induced hepatotoxicity is attributed to its antioxidant properties including the free radical scavenging activity and inhibition of lipid peroxidation.

Abbreviations

DTD:DT-diaphorase

GSH:glutathione

LDH:lactate dehydrogenase

MDA:malondialdehyde

MTT:3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide

TBHP:tert-butyl hydroperoxide

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Prof. Chun-Tao Che

School of Chinese Medicine

The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Shatin

Hong Kong

Email: chect@cuhk.edu.hk

Fax: +852-2603-7203