Gastrodia elata blume and an active component, p-hydroxybenzyl alcohol reduce focal ischemic brain injury through antioxidant related gene expressions.
Ischaemic stroke is a leading cause of death and long-lasting disability. Gastrodia elata blume (GEB) is a Chinese herb that is widely used to treat convulsive disorders, such as epilepsy, and p-hydroxybenzyl alcohol (HBA) is the active ingredient in GEB. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of GEB and HBA on the brain damage and transcriptional levels of Protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) and 1-Cys peroxiredoxin (1-Cys Prx) genes known to play a role in antioxidant systems after transient focal ischemia in the rat brain. Focal ischemia was induced in rats by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). All animals underwent ischemia for 1 h, followed by 24 h of reperfusion. Coronal brain slices were stained with 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride or total RNA was extracted for the analysis of gene expression. Histopathologic analysis revealed a significant (p<0.05) decrease in infarct size in the ipsilateral brain with GEB extracts or HBA. Moreover, the levels of PDI and 1-Cys Prx transcription were significantly increased in the GEB extract- or HBA-treated group compared with the untreated group (p<0.05). This study therefore indicated that GEB and HBA provide neuroprotection by preventing brain damage through the increased expression of genes encoding antioxidant proteins after transient focal cerebral ischemia and may be effective as neuroprotective agents at the cellular and molecular levels in the brain.
Yu
Seong Jin
SJ
School of Biotechnology and Biomedical Science, Institute of Basic Science, Inje University, Gimhae, Korea.
Kim
Ju Ran
JR
Lee
Chae Kwan
CK
Han
Jeong Eun
JE
Lee
Jae Hyun
JH
Kim
Hye-Sook
HS
Hong
Jeong Hwa
JH
Kang
Sung Goo
SG
D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D001592:Benzyl Alcohols / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D031668:Gastrodia; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D000975:Antioxidants; D001592:Benzyl Alcohols; D010936:Plant Extracts; C018966:4-hydroxybenzyl alcohol