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.
Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Institute of Neurodegeneration and Neuroregeneration, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chuncheon, Republic of Korea.
Ki-Yeon
KY
Yoo
Hua
H
Li
In Koo
IK
Hwang
Jung Hoon
JH
Choi
Choong Hyun
CH
Lee
Dae Young
DY
Kwon
Shi Yong
SY
Ryu
Young Sup
YS
Kim
Il-Jun
IJ
Kang
Hyung-Cheul
HC
Shin
Moo-Ho
MH
Won
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