[Vasoactive intestinal peptide attenuates apoptosis and iNOS protein expression induced by cerebral ischemia in the rat].
OBJECTIVE
To explore the neuroprotective action of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) on ischemia and reperfusion in the rat.


METHODS
VIP was given via intracerebroventriclar injection after a 2 hour transient middle cerebral artery occlusion using filament model. The infarct volume was investigated with TTC stain. Apoptosis in the ischemic boundary zone were evaluated with TUNEL stain. Western blotting were used to analyze the iNOS protein expression as well.


RESULTS
After VIP injection, the relative infarct volume of rats was significantly reduced by approximately 28% campared to that of the control groups at 1 day (P < 0.05). The number of TUNEL positive cells was significantly decreased in the ischemic boundary zone, and then the expression of iNOS was remarkablely decreased as well (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
VIP has a neuroprotective effect on cerebral ischemia and reperfusion. The mechanism seems to involve decreasing the apoptosis and down-regulating the iNOS expression.
Yang
Jie
J
Department of Human Anatomy and Histology-embryology, School of Medicine, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710061, China.
Zong
Chang-hong
CH
Wang
Wei-xi
WX
Hu
Xiao-dan
XD
Li
Ming
M
Chen
Guo-min
GM
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D020244:Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide / Q000494:pharmacology*
D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II