diets. 1 Promotion in this particular indication, added to Several herbal remedies have produced hepatitis in the general fad for ''natural'' medicines, suddenly led to humans. The medicinal plant, germander, was recalled large-scale utilization, and to an epidemic of hepatitis in after its use as an adjuvant to slimming diets resulted France. In a previous study, we have shown that decreased cell glutathione and cytoskeleton-associated the in vivo hepatotoxicity of germander was reproducible in protein thiols, and led to formation of plasma membrane mice and was entirely caused by the toxicity of its furano blebs and cell demise. Pretreatment of male rats with NCD. 6 These observations were subsequently confirmed by troleandomycin, an inhibitor of cytochrome P450 3Aanother in vivo study in mice. 7 The in vivo hepatototoxicity (CYP3A), slowed the depletion of glutathione and deof the furano NCD of germander was prevented by preadmincreased toxicity, whereas dexamethasone, an inducer of istration of a single dose of troleandomycin, 6 a specific inhibi-CYP3A, had opposite effects. Female rat hepatocytes, tor of cytochrome P450 3A (CYP3A), 8 and was enhanced by which poorly express CYP3A, exhibited little toxicity, pretreatment with either dexamethasone or clotrimazole, 6 unless the animals were treated with dexamethasone.two inducers of CYP3A, 8,9 whereas pretreatment with either Feeding male rats with a sulfur amino acid-deficient 3-methylcholanthrene or phenobarbital had no effect. 6 It was diet decreased cell glutathione and enhanced toxicity, concluded that CYP3A transformed the furano NCD of gerwhereas supplementation of the standard diet with cysmander into hepatotoxic metabolites. 6 However, it could not tine had opposite effects. We conclude that the furano be determined whether these hepatotoxic metabolites were diterpenoids of germander are activated by CYP3A into stable or reactive ones, and what were the molecular mechaelectrophilic metabolites that deplete glutathione and nisms responsible for their toxicity. 6,7 cytoskeleton-associated protein thiols and form plasmaIn the present study, these questions have been answered membrane blebs. We suggest that studies in isolated hein isolated rat hepatocytes. patocytes be included in the preclinical assessment of herbal remedies. (HEPATOLOGY 1996;24:212-218.)
MATERIALS AND METHODS