Abstract: AIM: To investigate the effects of oral administration of Astragalus membranceus, mung bean and arsenolite on the toxic of the arsenolite-induced rats and the possible mechanisms with metallothionein (MT). METHODS: All the rats were oral administration with arsenolite.The Astragalus membranceus and mung bean were compared with the cadmium chloride which induced MT synthesis.The contents of MT were determined by cadmium saturation method, the liver mRNA levels for MT1, MT2 were detected by RT-PCR.The protective effects of renal and liver were observed by testing alanine aminotransferase (ALT), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine (SCR).RESULTS: The contents of MT were accorded with the mRNA expression of MT1, MT2.Arsenolite, Astragalus membranceus and mung bean could induce the synthesis of MT, but the contents of MT which arsenolite induced were trace.The contents of MT significantly increased after oral administration of Astragalus membranceus and mung bean, especially in the Astragalus membranceus group (P<0.05).CONCLUSIONS: Astragalus membranccus and mung bean has a significantly inference in the MT and an antagonistic action on arsenolite-induced rats.

Key words: Astragalus membranceus, mung bean, arsenolite, metallothionein