title: Shikonin protects mouse brain against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury through its antioxidant activity.
abstract: The aim of our study was to investigate the neuroprotective properties of shikonin, a naphthoquinone pigment isolated from the roots of the traditional Chinese herb Lithospermum erythrorhizon. In the present study, mice were divided randomly into sham, model, shikonin and edaravone-treated groups. Shikonin (50, 25, and 12.5mg/kg, i.g.) or maize oil was administered three times before ischemia and once at 2h after the onset of ischemia. Mice were anesthetized with chloral hydrate and subjected to middle cerebral artery 2h of occlusion and then 22h of reperfusion. Different antioxidant assays were employed in order to evaluate the antioxidant activities of shikonin in vitro. Neurological deficit, infarct size, histopathology changes and oxidative stress markers were evaluated after 22h of reperfusion. In comparison with the model group, treatment with shikonin significantly decreased neurological deficit scores, infarct size, the levels of malondialdehyde(MDA), carbonyl and reactive oxygen species, and attenuated neuronal damage, up-regulated superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities and reduced glutathione (GSH)/glutathione disulfide (GSSG) ratio. Taken together, these results suggested that the neuroprotective effects of shikonin against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury may be attributed to its antioxidant effects.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Endemic Phytomedicine Resources, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China.
authors.forename: Zhenhua
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gan
authors.forename: Ting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Hanying
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Qiusheng
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zheng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D020244:Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009285:Naphthoquinones / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000378:metabolism; D050050:Protein Carbonylation / Q000187:drug effects; D011897:Random Allocation; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D015415:Biomarkers; D009285:Naphthoquinones; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; C016101:shikonin; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D010088:Oxidoreductases; D005978:Glutathione