title: Caffeic acid ameliorates early and delayed brain injuries after focal cerebral ischemia in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of caffeic acid on early and delayed injuries after focal cerebral ischemia in rats, and the possible relation to 5-lipoxygenase inhibition.
  
  
  METHODS
  Transient focal cerebral ischemia was induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion in Sprague-Dawley rats. Caffeic acid (10 and 50 mg/kg) was ip injected for 5 d after ischemia. The brain injuries were observed, and the levels of cysteinyl leukotrienes and leukotriene B4 in the brain tissue were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Caffeic acid (50 mg/kg) ameliorated neurological dysfunction and neuron loss, and decreased infarct volume 24 h after ischemia; it attenuated brain atrophy, infarct volume, and particularly astrocyte proliferation 14 d after ischemia. In addition, it reduced the production of leukotrienes (5-lipoxygenase metabolites) in the ischemic hemispheres 3 h and 7 d after ischemia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Caffeic acid has protective effect on both early and delayed injuries after focal cerebral ischemia in rats; and this effect may partly relate to 5-lipoxygenase inhibition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310031, China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: San-hua
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Yi-lu
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Li-sheng
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: Wei-ping
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Meng-ling
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Er-qing
authors.initials: EQ
authors.lastname: Wei
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology; D001094:Arachidonate 5-Lipoxygenase / Q000378:metabolism*; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D002109:Caffeic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003545:Cysteine / Q000378:metabolism; D020244:Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000150:complications; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D007975:Leukotriene B4 / Q000378:metabolism; D015289:Leukotrienes / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D002109:Caffeic Acids; D015289:Leukotrienes; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; C112381:cysteinyl-leukotriene; D007975:Leukotriene B4; D001094:Arachidonate 5-Lipoxygenase; D003545:Cysteine; C040048:caffeic acid