Visit our Expo - Redox and Inflammation signaling 2012

Session X : Cell death in cancer Poster X, 90
THE INFLUENCE OF ECHINACEA PURPUREA L. MOENCH TO THE TOXICITY
OF CADMIUM
Nijole Savickiene3, Alina Smalinskiene1, Stanislovas Ryselis1, Oleg Abdrakhmanov1,
Rima Kregzdyte1, Vaiva Lesauskaite2, Ilona Sadauskiene1, Leonid Ivanov1, , Virgilijus
Zitkevi(ius3, Arunas Savickas4
1Institute for Biomedical Research, Kaunas University of Medicine, 2Institute of
Cardiology, Kaunas University of Medicine, 3Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry
and Pharmacognosy, Kaunas University of Medicine, 4Department of Drug Technology
and Pharmaceutical Management, Kaunas University of Medicine, Kaunas, Lithuania
E-mail : savickienenijole@takas.lt
Cadmium has a diversity of toxic effects including nephrotoxicity, carcinogenicity,
teratogenicity, endocrine toxicity. The aim of this study was to investigate the accumulation
of various levels of Cd2+ in tissues, and the effects of Echinacea purpurea L. Moench liquid
extract on Cd2+ induced changes in mice.
Materials and methods. Experiments were carried out on the white laboratory mice (n=47).
Chronic experiments were performed by giving to drink solution of different Cadmium and
EP concentrations: Cd2+ 25 mg/l, Cd2+ 250 mg/l, EP – 3.5 ml/l, daily for 8 weeks. Control
group mice was giving to drink equal amount of deionisated water. Cd concentration was
determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometer Perkin-Elmer/Zeeman 3030. The number
of mitotic liver cells was counted in 10 randomly selected reference areas (0.04 mm2).
Apoptosis of liver cells was histochemically detected by the TUNEL assay using AP (Roche)
in situ cell death detection kit. Preparation of extract from herb of Echinacea purpurea (L.)
Moench was made according British herbal pharmacopoeia.
Results. Cd2+ concentration in all explored organs and blood of mice, which were giving to
drink CdCl2 was statistically significantly higher than that of control group mice. After 8
weeks of experiment with mice giving to drink CdCl2 250 mg/l and EP extract solutions we
estimated, that number of apoptotic liver cells statistically significantly (p