%0 Journal Article %A Balali-Mood, M. %A Ahmadi, A. %A Balali-Mood, K. %A Ghafghazi, T. %A Rajabi, P. %A Taher, M. %T Toxicity evaluation of an antitumor marine compound (HESA-A) in mice and rats %J Journal of Birjand University of Medical Sciences %V 12 %N 1 %U http://journal.bums.ac.ir/article-1-36-en.html %R %D 2005 %K Toxicity, Acute, Chronic, Drug, HESA-A, %X Background and Aim: HESA-A is a marine biological compound that was recently patented in the Islamic Republic of Iran, revealed anti-tumor properties in-vitro and in-vivo. The objective of this study was to investigate the acute, sub-acute, and chronic toxicity of HESA-A in mice and rats. Materials and Methods: The acute toxicity testing of HESA-A (0.5-18 g/kg) orally in different groups of mice and rats were undertaken. Sub-acute toxicity testing of the drug (10 g/kg/day for a week) on rats and chronic toxicity testing of different doses of HESA-A (1.25-5.00 g/kg/day for 30 days) on different groups of mice were carried out. Clinical abnormalities, changes in body temperature and weight, biochemical, haematological and pathological investigations were recorded. Results: Acute toxic effects of HESA-A occurred after 10 g/kg and the LD50s were calculated as 16 g/kg and 18 g/kg for mice and rats, respectively. The body weight of rats taken 18 g/kg of HESA-A reduced significantly (P<0.05) at day 14 and after death. Sub-acute and chronic toxic effects of HESA-A in rats and mice were observed only in a few rats and in the mice taken 5 g/kg/day of the drug for 30 days. Drowsiness, vomiting, diarrhoea and convulsions were the common findings. The body weight of rats decreased significantly (P<0.05) from 200±21 g to 156±22 g at day 14. In few rats and in the group of mice that received 5 g/kg HESA-A daily for 30 days, mild infiltration of lymphocytes in the liver tissues were observed. Conclusion: Based on the results, HESA-A has very little toxic effect on mice and rats. %> http://journal.bums.ac.ir/article-1-36-en.pdf %P 9-15 %& 9 %! %9 Original Article %L A-10-1-36 %+ Professor and Director, Medical Toxicology Centre, Imam Reza Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences. Mashhad, Iran %G eng %@ 1607-2197 %[ 2005