Shenjincao (Palhinhaea cernua) injection for treatment of experimental silicosis of rats

Abstract

Shenjincao injection is a traditional Chinese medicine prepared from Palhinhaea cernua (L.) A. Franco et Vasc. by ultrafiltration. Its anti-silicosis action has been investigated both as a prophylactic and for treatment of the disease. Wistar rats were injected intra-tracheally with quartz dust and then divided randomly into groups - treatment and control prophylactic groups and treatment and control disease groups. After five days or eight weeks, respectively, the silica-exposed rats of the two treatment groups were injected intraperitoneally three times a week with shenjincao injection, dose 2.0 mL, for five weeks or 11 weeks, respectively. The rats were then dissected, and the ceruloplasmin content of the serum and the fresh weight, dry weight, collagen content and pathological grade of the lungs were measured. Compared with the corresponding exposed control groups for the same treatment periods the values of these parameters were reduced by 62.8% to 30.7% for rats in the prophylactic treatment group (P < 0.01 for all) and by 50.8% to 30.2% for the diseased group (P < 0.01 for all). The values for the disease-treatment group were also reduced by 37.9% to 25.9% compared with values for the exposed control group before treatment (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). The effective coefficients for prophylactic treatment were 82.6% to 56.0%; for disease treatment they were 68.8% to 39.8%. These results show that shenjincao injection is efficacious against experimental silicosis not only when used prophylactically but also when used to treat the disease.