Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

Evaluation of embryotoxicity of Radix scutellariae based on embryonic stem test

Fenfang Cao¹, Fen Chen¹, Zhijian Su², Linyan Li¹, Aibo Huang¹, Hua Xu¹

¹College of Pharmacy; ²Department of Biopharmaceutical Research and Development Centre, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, Guangdong, PR China.

For correspondence:- Hua Xu Email: huax-mail@163.com Tel:+862038375022

Received: 13 June 2014 Accepted: 29 December 2014

Citation: Cao F, Chen F, Su Z, Li L, Huang A, Xu H. Evaluation of embryotoxicity of Radix scutellariae based on embryonic stem test. Trop J Pharm Res 2015; 14(3):431-439 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v14i3.11

© 2015 The authors.
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Abstract

Purpose: To determine the potential embryotoxicity of Radix scutellariae (RS) extract using an embryonic stem cell test (EST) and to evaluate its effect on the differentiation of mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells.

Methods: All the test samples were obtained by water extraction method. The embryotoxicity of RS was assessed with cytotoxicity assays, namely, embryonic stem (ES) cells (IC₅₀ES) and 3T3 fibroblasts (IC₅₀3T3), as well as cardiac differentiation inhibition assay (ID₅₀ES). The expression of specific genes and proteins was analyzed by quantitative reverse transcription – polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot.

Results: RS was weakly embryotoxic with IC₅₀ES, IC₅₀3T3 and ID₅₀ES of 0.1524, 0.1061, and 0.4169 mg/ml, respectively. Also RS had discordant effects on the expression of tissue-specific genes and proteins in three germ layers, promoting differentiation of the ectoderm (^Y02;p < 0.05; ^Y02;Y02;p < 0.01) and endoderm (^Y02;p < 0.05; ^Y02;Y02;p < 0.01; ^Y02;Y02;Y02;p < 0.001), while inhibiting mesoderm differentiation (^Y02;p < 0.05; ^Y02;Y02;p < 0.01; ^Y02;Y02;Y02;p < 0.001). The effect of RS on the embryonic development of the three germ layers was concentration-dependent.

Conclusion: These results indicate that RS possesses weak embryotoxicity. The variability in the effects of RS may be responsible for its weak embryotoxicity.

Keywords: Embryonic stem test, Radix scutellariae, Embryotoxicity, Cardiac differentiation inhibition assay, Ectoderm, Endoderm, Mesoderm