Sodium aescinate (SA) is a widely-applied triterpene saponin product derived from horse chestnut seeds, possessing vasoactive and organ-protective activities with oral or injection administration in the clinic. To date, no toxicity or adverse events in SA have been reported, by using routine models (in vivo or in vitro), which are insufficient to predict all aspects of its pharmacological and toxicological actions. In this study, taking advantage of transparent zebrafish larvae (Danio rerio), we evaluated cardiovascular toxicity of SA at doses of 1/10 MNLC, 1/3 MNLC, MNLC and LC10 by yolk sac microinjection. The qualitative and quantitative cardiotoxicity in zebrafish was assessed at 48 h post-SA treatment, using specific phenotypic endpoints: heart rate, heart rhythm, heart malformation, pericardial edema, circulation abnormalities, thrombosis and hemorrhage. The results showed that SA at 1/10 MNLC and above doses could induce obvious cardiac and pericardial malformations, whilst 1/3 MNLC and above doses could induce significant cardiac malfunctions (heart rate and circulation decrease/absence), as compared to untreated or vehicle-treated control groups. Such cardiotoxic manifestations occurred in more than 50% to 100% of all zebrafish treated with SA at MNLC and LC10. Our findings have uncovered the potential cardiotoxicity of SA for the first time, suggesting more attention to the risk of its clinical application. Such a time- and cost-saving zebrafish cardiotoxicity assay is very valid and reliable for rapid prediction of compound toxicity during drug research and development.
Keywords: LC10; MNLC; cardiotoxicity; larvae; sodium aescinate; zebrafish.