Ojewole John A O
Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy & Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X54001, Durban 4000, South Africa.
J Ethnopharmacol. 2008 Apr 17;117(1):130-5. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2008.01.026. Epub 2008 Feb 6.
Extracts of Rhus chirindensis stem-bark are used extensively in South African traditional medicines for the treatment, management and/or control of an array of human ailments, including childhood convulsions and epilepsy. In this study, we investigated the anticonvulsant activity of the plant's stem-bark aqueous extract (RCE, 50-800 mg/kg i.p.) against pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-, picrotoxin (PCT)- and bicuculline (BCL)-induced seizures in mice. Phenobarbitone and diazepam were used as reference anticonvulsant drugs for comparison. Single intraperitoneal injections of PTZ (90 mg/kg), PCT(10 mg/kg) or BCL (30 mg/kg) produced tonic-clonic seizures. Like the standard antiseizure drugs used, Rhus chirindensis stem-bark aqueous extract (RCE, 100-800 mg/kg i.p.) significantly delayed (p<0.05-0.001) the onset of, and antagonized pentylenetetrazole-induced seizures. The plant's stem-bark aqueous extract (RCE, 100-800 mg/kg i.p.) also profoundly antagonized picrotoxin-induced seizures, but only weakly antagonized bicuculline-induced seizures. Although the data obtained in the present study do not provide conclusive evidence, it would appear that RCE produces its antiseizure effect by enhancing GABAergic neurotransmission and/or action in the brain. The results of this laboratory animal study indicate that RCE possesses anticonvulsant activity in the mammalian experimental model used, and thus suggest that the plant may be used as a natural supplementary remedy in the management, control and/or treatment of childhood convulsions and epilepsy. In conclusion, the findings of this study lend pharmacological credence to the suggested folkloric, ethnomedical uses of Rhus chirindensis in the management of childhood convulsions and epilepsy in some rural communities of South Africa.
奇林漆茎皮提取物在南非传统医学中被广泛用于治疗、管理和/或控制一系列人类疾病，包括儿童惊厥和癫痫。在本研究中，我们研究了该植物茎皮水提取物（RCE，腹腔注射50 - 800 mg/kg）对小鼠戊四氮（PTZ）、印防己毒素（PCT）和荷包牡丹碱（BCL）诱导的癫痫发作的抗惊厥活性。苯巴比妥和地西泮用作参考抗惊厥药物进行比较。单次腹腔注射PTZ（90 mg/kg）、PCT（10 mg/kg）或BCL（30 mg/kg）会产生强直阵挛性癫痫发作。与所用的标准抗癫痫药物一样，奇林漆茎皮水提取物（RCE，腹腔注射100 - 800 mg/kg）显著延迟（p<0.05 - 0.001）戊四氮诱导的癫痫发作的发作时间并拮抗其发作。该植物茎皮水提取物（RCE，腹腔注射100 - 800 mg/kg）也能显著拮抗印防己毒素诱导的癫痫发作，但仅微弱拮抗荷包牡丹碱诱导的癫痫发作。尽管本研究获得的数据没有提供确凿证据，但似乎RCE通过增强大脑中的GABA能神经传递和/或作用来产生其抗癫痫作用。这项实验动物研究的结果表明，RCE在所使用的哺乳动物实验模型中具有抗惊厥活性，因此表明该植物可作为一种天然补充药物用于儿童惊厥和癫痫的管理、控制和/或治疗。总之，本研究结果为奇林漆在南非一些农村社区用于儿童惊厥和癫痫管理的民间医学用途提供了药理学依据。
