[Prevention of Rhodiola-astragalus membranaceus compounds against simulated plateau hypoxia brain injury in rat].
OBJECTIVE
To observe the protective effects of Rhodiola-astragalus membranaceus mixture against brain damage during hypoxia under simulated plateau environment and the mechanisms maybe involved in.


METHODS
Adult SD rats were randomly divided into 3 groups, which were normoxic control, simulated plateau hypoxia, and Rhodiola-astragalus membranaceus mixture pretreatment group. Rats in the latter two groups were exposed to simulated 8000 m altitude in a hypobaric chamber for 7 h. Water content, Na+, K(+)-ATPase activity and SOD activity in cerebral tissue, malondialdehyde (MDA) and lactic acid content in cerebral homogenate and serum were measured.


RESULTS
As compared with control group, cerebral water content was significantly higher in hypoxia group, while it was obviously lower in pretreatment group. MDA contents of hypoxia group both in cerebral homogenate and serum were higher than that of control group, while the pretreatment group they were both decreased obviously. Lactic acid content of hypoxia group in cerebral and in serum increased markedly and decreased drastically in pretreatment group compared to that of hypoxic group.


CONCLUSIONS
Rhodiola-astragalus membranaceus mixture has preventive effects on hypoxic damage induced by simulated plateau environment. This prevention may be related to the antagonistic effect on membrane lipid peroxidation and the inhibition on the accumulation of lactic acid in brain tissue and serum.
Zhu
Li
L
Institute of Nautical Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong Jiangsu, China. zhulizhou@ntu.edu.cn
Shi
Zhong-yuan
ZY
Wu
Xiao-mei
XM
Zhang
Zhi-jun
ZJ
Jin
Shu-yi
SY
D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D000531:Altitude; D000818:Animals; D027885:Astragalus propinquus; D001273:Atmosphere Exposure Chambers; D027682:Cation Transport Proteins; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D045604:Extracellular Fluid / Q000187:drug effects; D002534:Hypoxia, Brain / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D008517:Phytotherapy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D029771:Rhodiola; D012964:Sodium / Q000378:metabolism; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
D027682:Cation Transport Proteins; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D019344:Lactic Acid; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D012964:Sodium; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases; C022761:potassium transporting ATPase