Reactive oxygen species and peroxidative damage are implicated in the pathophysiology of
sepsis.
Magnolol is a compound extracted from the Chinese medicinal herb Magnolia officinalis and has multiple pharmacological effects, notably
antioxidant functions. To determine whether
magnolol can modulate the course of
sepsis, survival rate and biochemical parameters were analyzed in rats with
sepsis with various treatment protocols.
Magnolol at doses ranging from 10(-9) g/kg to 10(-5) g/kg was administered either before or after induction of
sepsis by cecal
ligation and
puncture.
Magnolol did not modulate the course of
sepsis induced by two cecal
punctures. When one cecal
puncture was performed, a moderately evolving type of
sepsis was induced, and the survival rate of affected rats was significantly improved by pretreatment with 10(-7) g/kg
magnolol. The beneficial effect was partially retained if
magnolol was administered 6 hours after onset of
sepsis when a higher dose (10(-5) g/kg) was used. The intensity of lipid peroxidation in plasma, liver, and lung of septic rats was also attenuated in a treatment-dependent manner.
Magnolol at this dose range exerted these beneficial effects probably through its
antioxidant efficacy. These significant results may suggest
magnolol as a candidate agent for the treatment of
sepsis.