Antioxidant effect of Legalon(r) SIL in ischemia-reperfusion injury of rat skeletal muscle.

PURPOSE: To evaluated the potential antioxidant agent Legalon (r) SIL (silibinin-C-2',3-bis(hydrogensuccinat)) in the skeletal muscle of rats. METHODS: IRI was achieved via tourniquet application in Wistar-albino rats. Experimental groups were chosen as (i) sham control, (ii) IRI (3+2 h), (iii) IRI and Legalon (r) SIL-50 (50 mg/kg/i.p.), (iv) IRI and Legalon (r) SIL-100 (100 mg/kg/i.p.), and (v) IRI and Legalon (r) SIL-200 (200 mg/kg/ i.p.). Muscle viability (evaluated by triphenyltetrazolium chloride dye method), malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase were assessed in muscle samples using a spectrophotometer. RESULTS: Although viability of the injured limb non-significantly declined in the IRI group, administration of Legalon (r) SIL did not prevent injury. However, dramatic increase observed in malondialdehyde levels in the IRI group was prohibited by Legalon (r) SIL in a statistically significant manner. In comparison with the sham-control group, IRI and Legalon (r) SIL administration did not cause any significant alterations in the levels of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase. CONCLUSION: Although Legalon (r) SIL was not sufficient to prevent muscle injury in terms of viability, it is found to be an effective option to reduce reactive oxygen species-induced cell injury.

Effects of silibinin and ethanol on skeletal muscle ischemia-reperfusion injury.

PURPOSE: To investigate the potential beneficial effect of silibinin in ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) of skeletal muscle. METHODS: Under urethane anesthesia, four experimental groups were established in Balb/c mice: I) Sham-control, II) IRI (Tourniquet-induced) (2+1 h), III) IRI+ethanol (10%), and IV) IRI+silibinin (50 mg/kg/IP). The viability of muscle (left) was evaluated by the triphenyltetrazolium chloride dye method and calculated as the percentage of the contralateral control muscle (right). Malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, and catalase were measured in the gastrocnemius muscle via a spectrophotometer. RESULTS: The viability of gastrocnemius muscle in group II was significantly lower in comparison with that seen in group I. The administration of either ethanol or silibinin rendered the tissues to recover nearly to the baseline level. Additionally, malondialdehyde levels were higher in group II than those in group I. The application of silibinin prior to the reperfusion attenuated these to the control levels. However, malondialdehyde levels in the ethanol administrated group were reduced as well. The enhanced superoxide dismutase activity seen in the IRI group was not diminished in the animals treated with either silibinin or ethanol. Similarly, there were no differences between groups regarding the catalase activities. CONCLUSION: Ethanol seems to be effective in attenuating IRI in skeletal muscle and no definite conclusion can be made on silibinin effect.