Effect of basic fibroblast growth factor on focal ischemic injury and antioxidant enzyme activities.
OBJECTIVE
To explore the effect of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) on focal cerebral ischemic injury and antioxidant enzyme activities.


METHODS
Rats underwent 24-h middle cerebral artery occlusion by intraluminal suture. Infarction volume was shown with staining and quantitated by image analysis system. Neurologic deficit scores were determined with a 0-5 grade scale. Antioxidant enzyme activities of forebrains were detected.


RESULTS
bFGF (45 micrograms.kg-1.h-1 i.v. for 3 h, started 5 min after the onset of ischemia) showed potent neuroprotective effects. Infarction volumes were decreased from 272 mm3 +/- 22 mm3 (saline-treated) to 201 mm3 +/- 30 mm3 (bFGF-treated). Neurologic deficit scores were decreased from 3.6 +/- 1.5 (saline-treated) to 2.3 +/- 1.6 (bFGF-treated). Focal cerebral ischemia induced an increase in the activities of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX), but a decrease in the level of glutathione s-transferase (GSH-ST). Treatment of bFGF further increased the CAT activity but had no effect on the activities of SOD, GSH-PX, and GSH-ST.


CONCLUSIONS
bFGF has a neuroprotective effect against focal cerebral ischemic injury. The elevation of CAT activity by bFGF may be involved in this effect.
Liu
X
X
Department of Pharmacology, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China.
Zhu
X Z
XZ
Ji
X Q
XQ
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism*; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000378:metabolism; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism
D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D002374:Catalase; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D005982:Glutathione Transferase