[Scavenging effect of re-du-qing on free radicals]

The general Shwartzman reactions of rabbits were induced by intravenously injecting endotoxin twice with 24 hours interval. The lipid peroxides (LPO) in sera and liver homogenates of rabbits in normal saline group (12.26 +/- 0.84 n mol MDA/ml, 1.86 +/- 0.43 n mol MDA/mg protein respectively) were significantly higher than those of rabbits in normal control group (7.93 +/- 2.90, 1.31 +/- 0.22, both P less than 0.01), and LPO in sera and liver homogenates of rabbits in Re-Du-Qing group (6.55 +/- 2.97, 1.19 +/- 0.12) were evidently lower than those of rabbits in normal saline group (P less than 0.01), accessed to the LPO level of rabbits in normal control group. In in vitro experiment, LPO of mitochondria in Re-Du-Qing group (1.50 +/- 0.43 n mol MDA/mg protein) dramatically decreased, compared with that of endotoxin group (2.39 +/- 0.69, P less than 0.05) and of control group (2.23 +/- 0.75, P less than 0.05). The findings of both in vivo and in vitro experiments showed that Re-Du-Qing possesses scavenging effect on free radicals. In view of the detoxification mechanism of Re-Du-Qing, in addition to inhibiting bacteria and degrading. endotoxin, the scavenging effect of Re-Du-Qing on free radicals are also included.