Zizyphus attenuates ischemic damage in the gerbil hippocampus via its antioxidant effect.
The fruit of Zizyphus jujuba has been used as a traditional Chinese medicinal herb and considered for thousands of years to affect various physiological functions in the body. We obtained a Z. jujuba extract (ZJE) and observed the neuroprotective effects of ZJE against ischemic damage in gerbils that had received repeated oral administrations of ZJE for 10 days. In the ZJE-treated ischemia group, neuronal nuclei (a marker for neurons)-immunoreactive neurons were abundant (58.4% vs. sham group) in the hippocampal CA1 region 4 days after ischemia/reperfusion compared to those in the vehicle-treated ischemia group (11.3%). In addition, ZJE treatment significantly decreased the reactive gliosis of astrocytes and microglia in the CA1 region compared to that in the vehicle-treated group 4 days after ischemia/reperfusion. Immunoreactivities of Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD1) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the ZJE-treated ischemia group were higher those in the vehicle-treated ischemia group 4 days after ischemia/reperfusion. In addition, in the ZJE-treated ischemia group, levels of hydroxynonenal, an indicator of lipid peroxidation, were much lower than those in the vehicle-treated ischemia group after ischemia/reperfusion. These results suggest that the repeated supplements of ZJE can protect neurons from ischemic damage via up-regulation of SOD1 and reduction of lipid peroxidation in the ischemic hippocampal CA1 region.
Yoo
Ki-Yeon
KY
Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Institute of Neurodegeneration and Neuroregeneration, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chuncheon, Republic of Korea.
Li
Hua
H
Hwang
In Koo
IK
Choi
Jung Hoon
JH
Lee
Choong Hyun
CH
Kwon
Dae Young
DY
Ryu
Shi Yong
SY
Kim
Young Sup
YS
Kang
Il-Jun
IJ
Shin
Hyung-Cheul
HC
Won
Moo-Ho
MH
D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D056547:CA1 Region, Hippocampal / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005849:Gerbillinae; D006801:Humans; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000072105:Superoxide Dismutase-1; D031957:Ziziphus / Q000737:chemistry*
D000975:Antioxidants; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; C000606290:SOD1 protein, human; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D000072105:Superoxide Dismutase-1