Toxicological studies of wogonin in experimental animals

Abstract

Wogonin, one active ingredient extract from the radix of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, is known to possess a broad spectrum of pharmacological, medicinal and therapeutic properties, especially the anticancer activity studied recently. However, no extensive safety studies have been conducted to date. In this paper, the acute and sub-chronic toxicity of the agent were determined using albino mice and Sprague-Dawley rats as animal models. Histopathological examination and viscera parameter investigation were also carried out after autopsy. The LD(50) of wogonin administered by the intravenous injection was 286.15 mg/kg and the 95% confidence limit was 278.27-295.26 mg/kg. A long period of treatment with a high dose of wogonin (120 mg/kg) could induce heart injury in rats. These results provide a foundation for the further clinical investigation of this promising anticancer agent.

Wogonin and Related Natural Flavones Overcome Tumor Necrosis Factor-related Apoptosis-inducing Ligand (TRAIL) Protein Resistance of Tumors by Down-regulation of c-FLIP Protein and Up-regulation of TRAIL Receptor 2 Expression

“…We have shown previously that wogonin enhances TRAIL-mediated apoptosis in leukemic but not in normal healthy lymphocytes (19). In particular, toxicological studies in experimental animals (mouse and dog) showed that up to 60 mg/kg/day wogonin had no organ toxicity when intravenously administered for 90 days (43,44). Therefore, wogonin may offer relative safety for long term therapies.…”

Wogonin and related natural flavones are inhibitors of CDK9 that induce apoptosis in cancer cells by transcriptional suppression of Mcl-1

“…Toxicological studies in experimental animals (rat and dog) showed that up to 60 mg/kg/day wogonin had no organ toxicity when intravenously administered for 90 days. 30, 31 Thus, wogonin may be an attractive new anti-cancer compound that offers relative safety for long term therapies.…”

Wogonin suppresses osteopontin expression in adipocytes by activating PPARα

“…After one week of STZ injection, mice were intraperitoneally administered either 10 mg/kg body weight of wogonin or vehicle control (20% dimethyl sulfoxide and 80% saline) once every three days for 8 weeks. Because the LD 50 of wogonin administered by intravenous injection in Sprague-Dawley rats was 286.15 mg/kg [18] , the doses or dose ranges used in this study were considered safe. At the end of wogonin treatment, the mice were euthanized, and adipose tissue and blood samples were harvested for experimentation.…”