Neuroprotection and enhanced neurogenesis by tetramethylpyrazine in adult rat brain after focal ischemia.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effects of tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) on neural cell proliferation and differentiation in brain of rat after focal cerebral ischemia.


METHODS
The focal cerebral ischemia of rat was induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Infarction volume was evaluated by TTC staining method. Immunohistochemistry was used to identify proliferating and differentiating cells.


RESULTS
TMP protected brain from damage by reducing volume of infarction, neuronal loss and water content. TMP not only increased the number of BrdU positive cell in SVZ, but also stimulated the cell differentiation after ischemia. The nNOS expression in cortex and dentate gyrus was reduced by treatment of TMP.


CONCLUSIONS
These results indicate that TMP could protect ischemic brain damage, and promote cell proliferation and differentiation stimulated by ischemia, which might be related to the reduction of nNOS expression after treatment with TMP in rat cerebral ischemia model.
Xiao
Xinli
X
Institute of Neurobiology, Environment and Genes Related to Diseases Key Laboratory of Education Ministry, State Key Subject for Physiology, Xi'an Jiaotong University College of Medicine, Xi'an 710061, China.
Liu
Yong
Y
Qi
Cunfang
C
Qiu
Fen
F
Chen
Xinlin
X
Zhang
Jianshui
J
Yang
Pengbo
P
D053687:Adult Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D001834:Body Water; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D020520:Brain Infarction / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D020244:Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D055495:Neurogenesis / Q000187:drug effects*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011719:Pyrazines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D055153:Stem Cell Niche / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology
D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D011719:Pyrazines; C017953:tetramethylpyrazine