title: Protective effect of ginsenoside-Re against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion damage in rats.
abstract: To investigate the protective effect of ginsenoside Re (Re) against cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury, adult male Wistar rats weighing 250-300 g were subjected to either sham surgery or middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) for 2 h of brain ischemia and 2 h reperfusion. A fluorescence polarization assay was carried out for membrane fluidity of brain mitochondria. Lipid peroxidation [malondiadehyde (MDA) formation], superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathion peroxidase (GSH-Px) of rat brain were estimated by fluorometric methods. It was observed that Re (5, 10, 20 mg kg-1 p.o. pretreatment for 7 d, once a day) significantly improved the fluidity of mitochondrial membranes as demonstrated by a reduction of average microviscosity, ameliorated lipid peroxidation by raising the activities of SOD and GSH-Px, and reduced the content of MDA in rat brain. This study demonstrated a direct protective effect of Re against cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Liaoning Province, China. zhouxiaomian2411@yahoo.com.cn
authors.forename: Xiao-Mian
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Ying-Lin
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: De-Qiang
authors.initials: DQ
authors.lastname: Dou
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply*; D036145:Ginsenosides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D008560:Membrane Fluidity / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D036145:Ginsenosides; C049864:ginsenoside Re