Traditional Chinese herb Dihuang Yinzi (DY) plays neuroprotective and anti-dementia role in rats of ischemic brain injury.
OBJECTIVE
Traditional Chinese herb Dihuang Yinzi (DY) is well known to treat neurological diseases by traditional Chinese medical practitioners. This study is to elucidate its neuroprotective and anti-dementia role in ischemic brain injury.


METHODS
The effects of DY on the pathohistological changes, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, Morris water maze task, expression of synaptophysin (SYP) and extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) of hippocampi of rats with ischemic brain injury were investigated.


RESULTS
This study showed that DY not only significantly decreased the number of TUNEL-positive cells but also reduced the LDH release of hippocampus of model rat. Morris water maze test showed that the ability of learning and memory of rats dramatically impaired after ischemic brain injury. However, DY ameliorated the impairment of learning and memory of ischemic rats. Furthermore, western blotting and immunohistochemical data showed that the expression of extracellular regulated protein and synaptophysin, which correlates with synaptic formation and function, decreased after ischemic insult. However, DY inhibited the reduction of ERK an SYP expression in a dose-dependent way.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that DY possesses neuroprotective and anti-dementia properties, at least in part, by preventing the loss of neural cells and synapses in ischemic brain injury.
Hu
Rong
R
Department of Neurosurgery, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Gaotanyan 29, Chongqing 400038, People's Republic of China.
Yin
Chang-lin
CL
Wu
Nan
N
Cui
Gao-yu
GY
Meng
Hui
H
Wu
Xi-gui
XG
Luo
Hai-shui
HS
Gang
Tian
T
Hu
Shengli
S
Shi
Jiantao
J
Lin
Jiang-kai
JK
Feng
Hua
H
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015140:Dementia, Vascular / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling / Q000379:methods; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000188:drug therapy*; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D019684:Magnoliopsida; D018782:Maze Learning; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D016708:Synaptophysin / Q000378:metabolism
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D016708:Synaptophysin; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases