Study On The Basic Toxicity Of Rhizoma Coptidis Decoction

The Rhizoma Coptidis which serves as one of the frequently-used heat-clearing damp-drying Chinese herbs was widely used in clinical application. But the lack of the definite criterion in the dose and method resulted in adverse reaction of the long-term, excessive or inappropriate application of the Rhizoma Coptidis. So recently there was much argument in the safety of the Rhizoma Coptidis. In the study, systematic basic toxicity studies were investigated by traditional Chinese medicine toxicology methods, to study the LD50 of Rhizoma Coptidis in mice, the toxic target organ and the relationship of the dose and toxicity, which provided the reference for clinical application of Rhizoma Coptidis.1. The acute toxicity testing of Rhizoma Coptidis:The Rhizoma Coptidis was chronically administered to mice singly and the acute toxicity was observed for 7 consecutive days. The result showed that the LD50 was 4.472 g/kg, and that the 95% confidence limits was 3.817-5.276 g/kg.2. The sub-acute toxicity test of Rhizoma Coptidis:The Rhizoma Coptidis was chronically administered to mice for 14 consecutive days and the sub-acute toxicity was studied. The result showed that the symptoms such as the mental depression and messy hair appeared in the mice administered 2.00 g/kg Rhizoma Coptidis and that liver coefficient varied. There were no significant differences in females’feed intake, water intake and body weight while the males’feed intake and weight changed at different degrees.3. The sub-chronic toxicity test of Rhizoma Coptidis:the toxicity of Rhizoma Coptidis and the relationship of the dose and toxicity was studied by the method of intragastric administration in mice for 4 consecutive weeks and withdrawal time for 1 weekoThe result indicated that the dosages of 2.00 g/kg and 1.14 g/kg of Rhizoma Coptidis could change male mice weights, liver index, testis index, and cause damage to heart, liver, large intestine, small intestine. The degree of injury had positive correlation with the dosage and there were no significant difference (P>0.05) in the liver and kidney’s serum biochemical parameters (GOT、GPT、ALP、TBIL、IBIL、BUN) among the groups. The dosage of 2.00 g/kg of Rhizoma Coptidis could markedly reduce the levels of T-SOD, GSH, GSH-PX and reduce the level of MDA (P<0.05). The abnormity was not found in the mice administered 0.65 g/kg of Rhizoma Coptidis.4. The irritation test of the Rhizoma Coptidis on skin:The irritation of the RhizomaCoptidis on the normal and damaged skin in rabbit was studied using the method of applying Rhizoma Coptidis on the skin in rabbit for 7 consecutive days. The result indicated the obvious symptoms of poisoning and the irritation of different doses of the Rhizoma Coptidis on the normal skin were not found in the experimental rabbits. The dosages of 1.00 g/mL and 0.75 g/mL of Rhizoma Coptidis had a certain irritation on the damaged skin, which made the damaged skin recover slowly, while the dosages of 0.50 g/mL had no any irritation on the damaged skin.In a word, Rhizoma Coptidis administered by oral application had some toxicity, which was correlated with cumulative dose, and the application of Rhizoma Coptidis at a higher dose in vitro had irritation on the damaged skin.