Rhein Exhibits Antioxidative Effects Similar to Rhubarb in a Rat Model of Traumatic Brain Injury

Overview

Journal BMC Complement Altern Med

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialty Rehabilitation Medicine

Date 2017 Mar 8

PMID 28264680

Citations 19

Authors

Xia Xu

Huiying Lv

Zian Xia

Rong Fan

Chunhu Zhang

Yang Wang

Dongsheng Wang

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

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.

Conclusion: 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.

Citing Articles

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Fu Y, Yang L, Liu L, Kong L, Sun H, Sun Y Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2025; 17(12.

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Rhein Alleviates Doxorubicin-Induced Myocardial Injury by Inhibiting the p38 MAPK/HSP90/c-Jun/c-Fos Pathway-Mediated Apoptosis.

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Prevotella copri transplantation promotes neurorehabilitation in a mouse model of traumatic brain injury.

Gu N, Yan J, Tang W, Zhang Z, Wang L, Li Z J Neuroinflammation. 2024; 21(1):147.

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Quinones as Neuroprotective Agents.

Cores A, Carmona-Zafra N, Clerigue J, Villacampa M, Menendez J Antioxidants (Basel). 2023; 12(7).

PMID: 37508002 PMC: 10376830. DOI: 10.3390/antiox12071464.

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