title: Astragalus extract alleviates nerve injury after cerebral ischemia by improving energy metabolism and inhibiting apoptosis.
abstract: This aim of this study was to explore the effects and molecular mechanisms of Astragalus extract against cerebral ischemia injury through the energy metabolism and apoptosis pathways of c‑Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signal transduction. After the bilateral common carotid artery of C57BL/6 mice was occluded for 20 min followed by 1-h reperfusion, the ATP content, total adenine nucleotides (TAN), energy charge (EC), and sodium potassium ATPase (Na(+)-K(+)‑ATPase) activity were decreased markedly in brain tissues. Astragalus extract markedly increased the ATP and ADP levels, EC value, and Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase activity. Twenty-four and 48 h after reperfusion, the neurocyte survival rate decreased and apoptosis rate increased, while the expression of phosphorylated JNK1/2, cytochrome c (Cyt C), and cysteine aspartic acid-specific protease (caspase)-9 and -3 were significantly enhanced in brain tissues. Astragalus extract significantly increased neurocyte survival and decreased the apoptosis rate as well as down-regulated the expression of p-JNK1/2, Cyt C, caspase-9, and caspase-3. These results suggest that Astragalus extract has neuroprotective effects against nerve injury after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion, and the underlying mechanism may be associated with improved cellular energy metabolism, inhibition of JNK signal transduction pathway activation, and then suppression of the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway.
authors.affiliation: Pathophysiology Laboratory, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan Province, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Ping
authors.initials: XP
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Bei-Yang
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chang-Qing
authors.initials: CQ
authors.lastname: Deng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D027883:Astragalus Plant; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D056547:CA1 Region, Hippocampal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D053453:Caspase 9 / Q000378:metabolism; D045304:Cytochromes c / Q000378:metabolism; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D045304:Cytochromes c; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D053148:Caspase 3; D053453:Caspase 9