title: Neuroprotective effects of hydroxyethylpuerarin against focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion in rats.
abstract: Our present study was performed to investigate whether hydroxyethylpuerarin (HEP) has a neuroprotective effect on brain injury after focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in adult male Wistar rats. Animals were subjected to one hour of middle cerebral artery occlusion and 48 hours of reperfusion with the pretreatment of drugs (HEP 15, 30, 60 mg/ kg or nimodipine 0.4 mg/kg i.v.) or vehicle. The behavioral tests were used to evaluate the damage to central nervous system. The percentage of brain infarct area was assessed in the brain slices stained with 2% solution of 2, 3, 5-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC). The pathologic histological changes were observed by H&E staining and the occurrence of apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry. The results showed that pretreatment with HEP at doses of 15, 30, 60 mg/kg exhibited significant neuroprotective effects on rats against focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury by markedly decreasing neurological deficit scores and the percentage of infarct area, reducing necrosis and apoptosis of neurons. All these findings suggest that HEP might provide neuroprotection against focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury probably through its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory property.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong, P.R.China.
authors.forename: Zi-Ying
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xin-Bing
authors.initials: XB
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Li-Xiang
authors.initials: LX
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Xiu-Mei
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D007529:Isoflavones / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D015394:Molecular Structure; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D007529:Isoflavones; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; C529768:hydroxyethylpuerarin