Effects of buyang huanwu decoction on apoptosis of nervous cells and expressions of Bcl-2 and bax in the spinal cord of ischemia-reperfusion injury in rabbits.
OBJECTIVE
To study the effect of buyang huanwu decoction ([Chinese characters: see text] BYHWD) on spinal ischemia-reperfusion injury and explore the possible mechanism involved.


METHODS
27 model rabbits with ischemia-reperfusion injury were randomly divided into a sham operation group, a model group and a BYHWD-pre-treated group. 24 and 48 hours after the ischemia-reperfusion injury, the motor functions of hind limbs were observed, the expressions of apoptosis-related proteins bcl-2 and Bax in the spinal tissue were investigated with the immunohistochemical methods and apoptosis of nervous cells with TUNEL straining; and the malondialdehyde (MDA) level and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the spinal cord were then determined.


RESULTS
BYHWD can improve significantly the motor function of hind limbs, increase SOD activity and decrease the level of MDA, up-regulate expression of Bcl-2 and down-regulated expression of Bax, and depress apoptosis of nervous cells in the spinal cord caused by the ischemia reperfusion in the rabbits.


CONCLUSIONS
BYHWD has a protective action on the spinal ischemia-reperfusion injury, and the mechanisms may be related to the decrease of lipid peroxidation and inhibition of apoptosis of nervous cells.
Fan
Lihong
L
Department of Orthopedics, Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi 'an Jiaotong University, Xi 'an 710004, China.
Wang
Kunzheng
K
Cheng
Bin
B
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011817:Rabbits; D011897:Random Allocation; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020760:Spinal Cord Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein