Evaluation of hepatotoxicity potential of cinnabar-containing An-Gong-Niu-Huang Wan, a patent traditional Chinese medicine.

An-Gong-Niu-Huang Wan (AGNH) is a patent traditional Chinese medicine for brain disorders. It contains 10% cinnabar (HgS). Hg is known to produce toxicity to the kidney, brain and liver.

Chemical form of metals in traditional medicines underlines potential toxicity in cell cultures.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Mercury (Hg) and arsenic (As) are frequently found in traditional medicines as sulfides, such as cinnabar (HgS) and realgar (As(4)S(4)). There is a general perception that any medicinal use of such metal-containing remedies is unacceptable. An opposing opinion is that different chemical forms of arsenic and mercury have different toxic potentials.

Toxicology evaluation of realgar-containing niu-huang-jie-du pian as compared to arsenicals in cell cultures and in mice.

Niu-Huang-Jie-Du Pian (NHJD) is a widely used traditional Chinese medicine containing realgar (As4S4). Realgar has been included in many traditional medicines, but is often taken as arsenite for risk assessment. To evaluate true risk of realgar and realgar-containing NHJD, their toxicity was compared with common arsenicals.

Realgar and realgar-containing Liu-Shen-Wan are less acutely toxic than arsenite and arsenate.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Liu-Shen-Wan (LSW) is a widely-used traditional Chinese medicine containing realgar (As(4)S(4)).

Aim Of The Study: Realgar has been included in many traditional medicines, and is often taken as arsenite for risk assessment in realgar-containing traditional remedies. Is realgar toxicologically similar to arsenite?

Materials And Method: Mice were orally given LSW (60 and 200mg/kg; 200mg LSW contains 27 mg realgar), realgar (30 mg/kg, equivalent to 21 mg As/kg), and the equivalent As dose as sodium arsenite (NaAsO(2)), or as arsenate (Na(2)HAsO(4)).