Antiemetic and Myeloprotective Effects of Rhus verniciflua Stoke in a Cisplatin-Induced Rat Model

Rhus verniciflua Stoke has been commonly used in traditional medicine to treat gastrointestinal (GI) dysfunction diseases. In order to investigate pharmacological properties of Rhus verniciflua Stoke water extract (RVX) on cisplatin-induced amnesia, RVX (0, 25, 50, or 100 mg/kg) was orally administrated for five consecutive days after a single intraperitoneal injection of cisplatin (6 mg/kg) to SD rat. Cisplatin injection significantly increased the kaolin intake (emesis) but reduced the normal diet intake (anorexia) whereas the RVX treatment significantly improved these abnormal diet behaviors at both the acute and delayed phase. The serotonin concentration and the related gene expressions (5-HT3 receptors and SERT) in small intestine tissue were abnormally altered by cisplatin injection, which were significantly attenuated by the RVX treatment. Histological findings of gastrointestinal tracts, as well as the proteins level of proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β), revealed the beneficial effect of RVX on cisplatin-induced gastrointestinal inflammation. In addition, RVX significantly improved cisplatin-induced myelosuppression, as evidenced by the observation of leukopenia and by histological examinations in bone marrow. Our findings collectively indicated Rhus verniciflua Stoke improved the resistance of rats to chemotherapy-related adverse effects in the gastrointestinal track and bone marrow.