title: Protective effects of a novel herbal decoction on focal cerebral ischemia in a rodent model.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Herbs have been used to treat stroke and coma patient in traditional Korean medicine (TKM). The novel decoction, Guhpoongchungsimhwan (GCH), was developed on the basis of clinical data and TKM theory.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined the neuroprotective effect of GCH on cerebral ischemia. The middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model was used to produce cerebral ischemia in Sprague-Dawley rats. Subjects were treated with GCH (50 or 200 mg/kg) or vehicle alone (controls) 0 and 2 hours after MCAO. The functional status was tested 24 hours after MCAO by neurological examination (clinical score) and by series of motor function tasks (foot placement and parallel bar crossing).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The infarct volume was determined by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining 24 hours after surgery, and the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 was determined by immunohistochemistry. The clinical score of the GCH-treated group (200 mg/kg) was significantly lower than that of the control group (p<0.05), indicating fewer neurological deficits. The impairment of motor functions induced by MCAO was significantly reduced by the administration of GCH (p<0.05). The infarct volume was significantly smaller in the GCH-treated group (203.1 +/- 40.2 mm(3), p<0.05), as compared to the control group (377.8 +/- 32.6 mm(3)). The level of motor function in the GCH-treated group was associated with reduced infarct volume. In the analysis of immunohistochemistry, GCH treatment markedly inhibited the ischemia-induced expression of PTGS2 (prostaglandin-endoperoxidase synthase 2) or cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2), which plays an important role in ischemic neuronal cell death.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results showed that GCH reduced the infarct size and the functional deficits in MCAO rats.
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Woosuk University, Wanju 565-701, Korea.
authors.forename: Myung-Gyou
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jae-Hwan
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Jong-Pil
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Dae-Keun
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Tae-Yong
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Yungmin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Boo
authors.forename: Sun-Yeou
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hocheol
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Eunyoung
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.forename: Hun-Kuk
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Jeongseon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Ha-Sup
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Ee-Hwa
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jeung-Beum
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kang-Hyun
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Leem
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D020520:Brain Infarction / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D029001:Herbal Medicine / Q000379:methods*; D020244:Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009460:Neurologic Examination / Q000379:methods; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2