ABSTRACT
Primary cell cultures of neonatal hepatocytes were used to examine the protective effect of flavonoids in the presence of hepatotoxins. Catechin (CAT) and silybin (SIL) protected the hepatocytes against cell injury produced by erythromycin estolate (EE), amitriptyline (AT), nortriptyline (NT), and tert-butylhydroperoxide (TBOOH). Leakage of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), as well as morphological parameters, were used as indices of hepatotoxicity. Hepatocytes were exposed to EE (1 X 10(-4) M and 2 X 10(-4) M), AT, NT, and TBOOH (1 X 10(-4) M and 1 X 10(-3) M) for a 2-h period. These hepatotoxins caused significant LDH, AST, and ALT leakage (P less than 0.05) when compared to untreated control groups. NT was less toxic than its parent compound, AT. Changes in morphology were evident after 1 h of treatment with the toxicants, including: vacuole formation, size deformation and cell necrosis. As the concentration of hepatotoxins was increased, the changes were more pronounced. Pretreatment of the cultures with either CAT or SIL resulted in less enzyme leakage and morphological alterations by the hepatotoxins. The results of this study suggest that CAT and SIL may act by stabilizing the plasma membrane against toxic insult.
Subject(s)
Catechin/pharmacology , Flavonoids/pharmacology , Liver/drug effects , Silymarin/pharmacology , Alanine Transaminase/analysis , Amitriptyline/toxicity , Animals , Animals, Newborn , Aspartate Aminotransferases/analysis , Cells, Cultured , Erythromycin Estolate/toxicity , L-Lactate Dehydrogenase/analysis , Liver/cytology , Liver/enzymology , Nortriptyline/toxicity , Peroxides/toxicity , Rats , Rats, Inbred Strains , tert-ButylhydroperoxideABSTRACT
In the present study, modern RP-HPLC is applied for chemotaxonomical investigations of ten species of the group of STACHYS RECTA (Labiatae) and three closely related species. Precise quantitative data of five iridoids and eight flavonoids are obtained for a total of fifty different origins. The handling of the numerous samples for analysis was facilitated by an automatic injection system. By application of diode array technology, each peak could be characterized, supplementary to its retention time, by its UV data. Except for three Yugoslavian specimens of S. RECTA, all investigated origins could be classified by their iridoid and flavonoid contents. The differences are mainly of a quantitative nature. The separation of S. ANGUSTIFOLIA from the S. RECTA group, postulated by Koeva-Todorovska by means of pollen morphological and cytological characters, is confirmed by the presented chemotaxonomical data.