[Protective effects and its mechanism of panaxatriol saponins isolated from Panax notoginseng on cerebral ischemia].
OBJECTIVE
To study the protective effects and its mechanism of Panaxatriol Saponins isolated from Panax notoginseng (PTS) on focal cerebral ischemia in rat brain.


METHODS
The influences of PTS on cerebral water content and three specific proteins (VEGF, HSP70 and transferrin) related with cerebral ischemia were studied with unilateral occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCAO) and Western Blot.


RESULTS
PTS 12.5 mg.kg-1 i.p. x 7 d (5 d before MCAO and 2 d after MCAO) inhibited the increase of cerebral water content caused by MCAO and influenced contents of HSP70 and transferrin, but had no influence on VEGF protein level.


CONCLUSIONS
PTS shows a protective effect on focal cerebral ischemia in rat brain by alleviating cerebral edema, up-regulating the expression of HSP70, down-regulating transferrin and maintaining blood-brain barrier.
Yao
Xiao-hao
XH
Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100083, China.
Li
Xue-jun
XJ
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D036145:Ginsenosides / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D020244:Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005894:Panax / Q000737:chemistry*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry; D051381:Rats; D014168:Transferrin / Q000378:metabolism; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*
D036145:Ginsenosides; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D014168:Transferrin; D014315:Triterpenes; C004563:panaxatriol