Rhubarb extract partially improves mucosal integrity in chemotherapy-induced intestinal mucositis

Table 3 Visceral organ weights of rats gavaged daily with water, low-dose or high-dose rhubarb extract (1 mL) during an 8-d trial period and administered with an intraperitoneal injection of saline or 5-fluorouracil on day 5

	Water + saline	Water + 5-FU	LDR + 5-FU	HDR + 5-FU
Thymus	14.6 ± 1.3	6.6 ± 0.5e	9.4 ± 0.6	9.5 ± 0.9
Heart	37.5 ± 0.8	39.0 ± 1.0	39.4 ± 0.8	39.1 ± 0.7
Lung	60.0 ± 2.2	63.0 ± 2.5	67.3 ± 4.7	71.9 ± 3.0
Liver	362.9 ± 6.5	362.7 ± 11.0	358.8 ± 7.2	339.7 ± 7.2
Spleen	20.3 ± 0.5	15.6 ± 0.3e	15.2 ± 0.4	14.6 ± 0.5
Kidneys	75.6 ± 5.3	86.5 ± 1.7	88.7 ± 1.1	89.4 ± 2.7
Caecum	39.7 ± 1.1	43.7 ± 2.4	49.2 ± 2.5	47.0 ± 2.1
Stomach	57.3 ± 2.6	55.3 ± 1.1	58.8 ± 0.9	61.9 ± 1.2

^eP < 0.001 vs water + saline. All values are expressed as mean [% relative to bodyweight (× 10^-2)] ± SEM. LDR: Low-dose RE; HDR: High-dose RE; RE: Rhubarb extract.