Hepatotoxic components and attenuation of polygonimultiflori radix praeparata induced idiosyncratic liver injury

Abstract

Objective Polygoni Multiflori Radix (PM, He-Shou-Wu), is used as a reputable tonifying traditional Chinese medicine for a long time. However, in recent years, the liver injury caused by PM or its preparations attracted wide attention. This research was to investigate the mechanism, material basis and attenuation of PM induced idiosyncratic liver injury. Methods In this study, we investigated the molecular basis of PM-induced liver injury based on a non-hepatotoxic dose of LPS. A component “knock-out” strategy with TSG (2,3,5,4'-tet‐rahydroxy stilbene-2-O-β-D-glucopyranoside) or AN (anthraquinone) eliminated was used to study the materialbasis for PM-induced liver injury. Finally, some polysaccharides and oligosaccharides were selected to exploretheir toxicity attenuated effects when used compatible with PM. Results In LPS-induced immune stress mice or rats, PM caused immune-idiosyncratic liver injury. After knockout anthraquinones (AN) from PM (PM-AN), the liver injury was significantly reduced and the AN isolated from PM also caused immune-idiosyncratic liver injury.Pretreatment with Cistanchedeserticola polysaccharide (CDP), Alginate oligosaccharide (AO), Chitosan oligosac‐charide (CO) could attenuate the PM-induced liver injury and inhibit the expression of various cytokines. Conclusion The immune-idiosyncratic constitution is an important factor leading to the liver injury of PM. Anthraqui‐none is a major material basis of PM-induced liver injury. Polysaccharides or oligosaccharides could attenuate PMinduced liver injury, which was related with immune-modulatory effects.

Keywords

• polygoni multiflori radix
• immune-idiosyncratic liver injury
• material basis
• anthraquinone
• attenuation