Effects of aqueous extracts from Panax ginseng and Hippophae rhamnoides on acute alcohol intoxication: An experimental study using mouse model

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Acute alcohol intoxication (AAI) is a frequent emergency, but therapeutic drugs with superior efficacy and safety are lacking. Panax ginseng (PG) and Hippophae rhamnoides (HR) respectively has a wide application as a complementary therapeutic agent in China for the treatment of AAI and liver injury induced by alcohol. We investigated the effects of aqueous extracts from PG and HR (AEPH) on AA1 mice and identified its underlying mechanisms. Materials and methods: Models of AAI were induced by intragastric administration of ethanol (8 g/kg). Seventy-two Specific pathogen-free (SPF) male Kunming mice were randomly divided into six groups: normal group, positive control group, AEPH of low dosage (100 mg/kg) group, AEPH of medium dose (200 mg/kg) group, AEPH of high dosage (400 mg/kg) group and model group. The mice were treated with metadoxine (MTD, 500 mg/kg) and AEPH. Thirty minutes later, the normal group was given normal saline, while the other groups were given ethanol (i.g., 8 g/kg). The impact of AEPH was observed. In the same way, another seventy-two Kunming mice were randomly divided into six groups equally. The blood ethanol concentration at 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 3 and 6 h after ethanol intake was determined by way of gas chromatography. The activity of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) and microsomal ethanol oxidase (EO) in liver, and the concentration of beta-endorphin (beta-EP), leucine-enkephalin (LENK) in the brain were determined by enzyme-linked-immunosorbent serologic assay (ELI-SA). Results: AEPH markedly prolonged alcohol tolerance time and shortened sober-up time after acute ethanol administration. AEPH decreased blood ethanol levels in six tests after ethanol intake. The 7-day survival rate of AEPH group was obviously superior to model group. AEPH increased the activities of ADH, ALDH, and decreased EO activity in liver. The crucial find was that AEPH markedly decreased beta-EP and LENK concentration in the brain. Conclusions: AEPH can markedly increase the levels of ADH, ALDH, decrease EO activity in liver and decrease the concentration of beta-EP and LENK in the brain to against acute alcohol intoxication in mice. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.