Objective: To investigate the effect of Coptis chinensis on oxidative hemolysis of erythrocytes in mice.
Method: Acetylphenyhydrazine (APH)-induced oxidative hemolysis of erythrocytes in mice were used. The contents of free hemoglobin of blood plasma, indirect bilirubin of serum, reticulocytes of blood, and malondialdehyde (MDA) of erythrocytes were measured. The activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), reduced glutathione hormone (GSH), and glucose-6-phosp hate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) of erythrocytes were also determined and the total-antioxygen capability (T-AOC) of blood was analyzed.
Result: The levels or amount of free hemoglobin of blood plasma, indirect bilirubin of serum, reticulocytes of blood and MDA of erythrocytes were higher in APH (0.03 g x kg(-1))-induced mice than normal mice. The activity or content of SOD, GSH and G-6-PD was lower in APH-induced mice than in normal mice. Primaquine (0.058 g x kg(-1)) could aggravated the degree of elevated hemolysis of erythrocytes in APH-induced mice. C. chinensis (0.6 g x kg(-1) could deprssed significantly the elevated levels of indirect bilirubin in serum. The levels of free hemoglobin of blood plasma, indirect bilirubin of serum, reticulocytes of blood, the production of SOD and GSH and T-AOC were also decressed by C. chinensis (0.6 g x kg(-1)).
Conclusion: C. chinensis suppressed t he degree of hemolysis of erythrocytes in APH-induced mice due to the suppression of the production of lipid peroxidation and increasing of the activity of antioxidase of erythrocytes.