Integrative Medicine Center of 302 Military Hospital, China Military Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing 100039, PR China.
J Ethnopharmacol. 2011 Mar 24;134(2):216-20. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2010.12.008. Epub 2010 Dec 14.
Rhubarb is generally used to people of broad age, but diverse responses of people at different age to rhubarb have been little clarified. In this study, an attempt was made to access the safety of rhubarb to both immature and aged rats to provide some references for its clinical usage.
The total extract of rhubarb was administered intragastricly to both immature and aged rats once a day and lasted for 5 weeks. Then histopathologic and biochemical examinations were performed.
No death was observed in immature rat groups, while 23.3% (21/90) subjects in aged rat groups died and most of the death cases were observed in the high-dosage (40 gkg(-1) of body weight per day od, counted on the quantity of crude material) group. The death rate between aged and immature rats was found of significantly statistical difference. Dosage-dependent histopathologic changes in kidney were observed in all the rhubarb-treated rats, principally involving the proximal tubules. Kidney changes in aged rats were severer than those observed in immature ones. Hepatic cells necrosis was occasionally observed in the middle- and high-dosage aged rat groups and minimal biliary hyperplasia was found in all the rhubarb-treated aged rats. Increased incidences of activated Kupffer cells and lymphocytic infiltration were found in all the rhubarb-treated rats. And dosage-dependent increase of interleukin 6 (IL-6) and notable increase of IL-8 was found in aged rat groups.
The immature and aged rats showed reversed responses to the toxic potential of rhubarb extract. Elderly subjects were susceptible to the toxicity of high-dosage rhubarb, which drove rigorous consideration on rational use of rhubarb to aged people.
大黄一般被用于各年龄段人群，但不同年龄人群对大黄的反应差异尚不清楚。本研究旨在评估大黄对幼龄和老年大鼠的安全性，为其临床应用提供参考。
大黄总提取物每日 1 次灌胃给予幼龄和老年大鼠，持续 5 周。然后进行组织病理学和生化检查。
幼龄大鼠组未观察到死亡，而老年大鼠组中 23.3%（21/90）的动物死亡，且大部分死亡发生在高剂量（40 g/kg·d，按粗药材计算）组。老年大鼠与幼龄大鼠的死亡率存在显著统计学差异。所有大黄处理的大鼠均出现剂量依赖性的肾脏组织病理学改变，主要累及近端肾小管。老年大鼠的肾脏改变比幼龄大鼠更严重。中、高剂量老年大鼠组偶见肝细胞坏死，所有大黄处理的老年大鼠均出现轻微的胆管增生。所有大黄处理的大鼠均可见活化的枯否细胞和淋巴细胞浸润增加。老年大鼠组白细胞介素 6（IL-6）呈剂量依赖性增加，IL-8 明显增加。
幼龄和老年大鼠对大黄提取物的毒性潜力表现出相反的反应。老年人群对大剂量大黄的毒性更为敏感，这需要对老年人合理使用大黄进行严格考虑。
