[Effects of xuezhikang and simvastatin on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rat].
OBJECTIVE
To observe the effects of Xuezhikang and simvastatin on cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury in rat, as well as the influences after intervention with L-NAME.


METHODS
Rats were given orally with Xuezhikang and simvastatin or vehicle for 2 weeks, and then subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion for 120 min using intraluminal filament model. L-NAME were injected into the lateral ventricles in half of the rats treated with Xuezhikang and simvastatin 45 min before the ischemia. The neurological deficits examinations were performed at 2, 24, 48 h after reperfusion. After the last examination the animals were sacrificed, the infarct volumes were determined by TTC staining, and MDA levels were also measured.


RESULTS
Xuezhikang and simvastatin both significantly reduced the infarct volume and improved the functional recovery when compared to vehicle. Xuezhikang and simvastatin both significantly decreased the MDA accumulation after reperfusion. L-NAME partially inhibited the protective effect of Xuezhikang but nearly completely abolished the protective effect of simvastatin.


CONCLUSIONS
Xuezhikang has protective effects on ischemic brain damage in rats, which the beneficial effects are partly due to the statins components. The other components in Xuezhikang may also account for the neuroprotective effects, which is worth further investigations.
Zhou
Fu-You
FY
Department of Neurology, Second Affiliated Hospital Zhejiang University College of Medicine, Hangzhou 310009, China.
Zhang
Jin
J
Song
Tao
T
Gao
Feng
F
Wu
Ji-Min
JM
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020244:Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000494:pharmacology; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D019821:Simvastatin / Q000494:pharmacology*
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; C496822:xuezhikang; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D019821:Simvastatin; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester