[Study on effect of radix astragali on injury of cerebral cortex in neonatal rats after hypoxia/ischemia brain damage].
OBJECTIVE
To study the mechanism of injury of cortical nerve cell in the newborn with hypoxia/ischemia brain damage (HIBD), and the neuroprotective effect of Radix Astragali (RA).


METHODS
Neonatal HIBD model rats were established and divided into the sham group, the model group and the RA group. Brain of rats obtained at different time points after HIBD to conduct histopathological examination, neuron death rate count, as well as determination of caspase-3 (cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinase-3) protein mRNA expression in cerebral cortex by immunohistochemistry, semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) respectively.


RESULTS
In the model group, caspase-3 mRNA and protein showed an increase at 6 hrs, reached the peak at 24 hrs, and decreased at 48 hrs after HIBD, on the 5th and 7th day restored to baseline level. After being treated by RA, the neuron death rate of ligated side was obviously reduced, caspase-3 mRNA and protein expression peak value decreased by 45% (mRNA) and 40% - 43% (protein).


CONCLUSIONS
RA shows markedly neuron protection in immature brain cortex after HIBD, which is related with the inhibition on caspase-3 expression.
Jia
Rui-zhe
RZ
Clinical Medical College of Southeast University, Nanjing 210009.
Jiang
Li
L
Qiao
Li-xing
LX
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D027885:Astragalus propinquus; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D002470:Cell Survival; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D020925:Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C505410:Casp3 protein, rat; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases