Berberine reduces the hypoxic-ischemic insult in rat pup brain.
Berberine, an isoquinoline alkaloid extracted from medicinal herbs, has been used as antipyretic, antidiarrheal, bactericide and anti-inflammatory agent. In this study, berberine effects on neuronal damage have been examined. The right carotid artery of seven-day-old rat pups was ligated (ischemic insult), then berberine solution (0.2, 0.5, 1 or 2 mg/kg) was injected intra-peritoneally, and 30 minutes later pups were passed through hypoxic condition with breathing in air containing 10% oxygen and 90% nitrogen(hypoxic insult). The day after that the brains of pups were enucleated for pathologic assessment. Pathologic review of the samples obtained from rats treated with different doses of berberine in comparison with samples from pups treated by normal saline showed that there was a significant reduction of brain injury and edema in the rats treated with berberine. Our study also demonstrates that berberine reduces brain ischemic-hypoxic injury dose-dependently. Therefore, beberine may be considered as useful anti-stroke agent.
Benaissa
F
F
Iran University of Medical Science, Department of Neurology, P.O. BOX 14155-6183, Tehran, Iran.
Mohseni-Rad
H
H
Rahimi-Moghaddam
P
P
Mahmoudian
Massoud
M
D000367:Age Factors; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001599:Berberine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D020925:Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D001599:Berberine