Prevention and Cure of Acute Alcohol Intoxication in Mice by Administration of Compound of Japanese Raisintree Fruit, Lobed Kudzuvine Flower Bud and Lightyellow Sophora Root

[Objective] We aimed to investigate the preventive and therapeutical effect of compound of traditional Chinese drugs （Japanese raisintree fruit, lobed kudzuvine flower bud and lightyel ow sophora root） on acute alcohol intoxication in mice. [Method] Acute alcohol intoxication was induced by administering alcohol to mice. Three different doses （low, middle and high） of compound of traditional Chinese drugs were administered to mice before and after administering alcohol respectively to investigate the preventive and therapeutical effect of drugs on acute alcohol intox-ication through doing statistical analysis about drunk mice and their sleeping time. The concentration of malondialdehyde （MDA）, reduced glutathione （GSH） and triglyc-erides （TG） in liver was also determined to investigate the protective effect of drugs on liver. [Result] The efficacy of compound of traditional Chinese drugs on acute al-cohol intoxication was dose-dependent. High-dose administration decreased the number of drunk mice significantly compared with control group; middle- and high-dose administration reduced the sleeping time of drunk mice and the concentration of MDA and TG in liver tissue; three doses al increased the concentration of GSH. [Conclusion] The compound of Japanese raisintree fruit, lobed kudzuvine flower bud and lightyel ow sophora root had preventive and therapeutical effect on hangover, and it also had certain preventive and therapeutical effect on liver damage caused by alcohol.

Assessment of Acute Poisoning Cases in Emergency Department of the Provincial General Reference Hospital in Bukavu, DR-Congo

Background: Acute intoxications result from intentionally or accidentally taking a relatively significant amount of a chemical substance which triggers disturbances in the level of psychophysiological functions, the complications of which may lead to mental disorders, physical causalities, and death. Any acute intoxication mostly requires emergency care. Objective: To highlight the prevalence, history, clinical features, emergency treatment, and prediction of acute intoxication cases referred to the emergency services at the Provincial General Reference Hospital in Bukavu, DR-Congo. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2021 to October 2022 based on an analysis of patients’ medical files. Triage was performed among all-type of patient files recorded in the computerized hospital database Ebale-Sante to sort cases of intoxication. Results: During the observational period, 3966 emergency admissions were counted, of which 321 (8.09%) patients were identified as having acute intoxication. Among these, 100 files that containing sufficient information fit the quality criteria for this study’s analysis. The victims were infants, adolescents and adults aged 1 - 45 years, and 52% were female and 48% were male. Most cases were accidental and, occurred at home, and the victims were driven to the hospital within 2 - 24 hours. The substances consumed included household products, drugs, and herbs. Resuscitation care, antidotes and supportive symptomatic medications ensured that 85% were healed and 10% experienced sequelae;however, 5% died. Conclusion: Acute intoxication occurs in infants mostly accidentally though the ingestion of household products and medicines. Furthermore, suicide cases may occur in traumatized adolescents and discordant couples. People should be informed about how to store hazardous products (e.g.: drugs, household products and pesticides), which should not be available to children, to avoid unintentional poisoning. Special training in clinical toxicology is required to reduce treatment failure.

The Protective Effect of Jiujiuguiyi, a Medicine and Food Homologous Formula, on Acute Alcohol Poisoning Mice

Background: Nowadays, acute alcoholic intoxication has become the third public problem in China, and the anti-inebriation products mainly aimed at increasing the activity of enzyme involved in the alcohol metabolism, which is a single mechanism that can accelerate alcohol metabolism. Thus, a new formula, Jiujiuguiyi (JJGY) which could protect liver, relieve the abnormal excitability of the center and improve muscle retardation at the same time is designed by us. Methods: The model of acute alcoholic intoxication was established by intragastric administration with 0.12 ml/10g 50% alcohol in mice. JJGY was orally administrated (gavage) once a day for 20 consecutive days before the establishment of acute alcoholic model. Mice were randomly divided into 8 groups with 8 each: blank control group (CON), model group (M), Haiwangjinzun positive control group (HWJZ), experimental groups (AL, AH, BL, BH, AB). Giant, crawling time on the rota-rod, the activities of aspartate amino trans- ferase (AST), alanine amino transferase (ALT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in both liver and serum, alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) in liver as well as the HE staining of liver slices, the formation of malondialdehyde (MDA) in serum were determined after acute alcoholic intoxication. Results: Compared with model group, JJGY significantly decreased the AST and ALT activity in liver and serum and MDA activity in serum. Meanwhile, it enhanced the ADH and ALDH level in liver as well as the hepatic and serous SOD activity, indicating more efficient metabolism of alcohol and less hepatic injury. HE staining results also proved that JJGY could reduce alcoholic liver cell injury, and the effect was more obvious in the group medicated before alcohol administration. Moreover, JJGY significantly prolonged the crawling time on the rota-rod and improved the gait of mice and the effect was proved to be better than the widely used health product Haiwangjinzun. Conclusions: This study suggests that JJGY is able to protect liver, relieve the abnormal excitability of the center and improve muscle retardation after acute alcoholic intoxication. Its liver protection effect is likely related to its modulation on the alcohol metabolizing and antioxidant enzymes.