Neuroprotective effects of scutellarin on rat neuronal damage induced by cerebral ischemia/reperfusion.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the neuroprotective effect and mechanisms of scutellarin, a flavonoid extracted from Erigeron breviscapus Hand Mazz, against neuronal damage following cerebral ischemia/reperfusion.


METHODS
Rats were pretreated ig with scutellarin for 7 d and then subjected to cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury induced by a middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). The infarct volume and neurological deficit were determined by TTC staining and Longa's score. The permeability of the blood-brain barrier was evaluated by measurement of the Evans blue (EB) content in the brain with a spectrophotometer. The total NOx content was determined. Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) isoforms (iNOS, eNOS, nNOS) and the key angiogenic molecules, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), were detected by Western blotting.


RESULTS
Scutellarin significantly reduced infarct volume (P<0.05 or P<0.01), ameliorated the neurological deficit and reduced the permeability of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) (P<0.05). When rats were pretreated with scutellarin (50 or 75 mg/kg), upregulation of eNOS expression and downregulation of VEGF, bFGF, and iNOS expression was observed, whereas scutellarin had no effect on nNOS expression.


CONCLUSIONS
Scutellarin has protective effects for cerebral injury through regulating the expression of NOS isoforms and angiogenic molecules.
Hu
Xia-Min
XM
Department of Pharmacology, Medical College of Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430080, China. fdzeng@mails.tjmu.edu.cn
Zhou
Mi-Mei
MM
Hu
Xian-Min
XM
Zeng
Fan-Dian
FD
D000818:Animals; D047310:Apigenin / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000187:drug effects; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000150:complications; D049919:Erigeron / Q000737:chemistry; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D005965:Glucuronates / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020244:Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I / Q000378:metabolism; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000378:metabolism; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / Q000378:metabolism; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism
D005965:Glucuronates; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; C484876:scutellarin; D047310:Apigenin; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III