title: Ligustilide alleviates brain damage and improves cognitive function in rats of chronic cerebral hypoperfusion.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ligustilide (LIG), a main lipophilic component of Danggui (Chinese Angelica root, Radix Angelica sinensis) which is a popular used herb to treat menstrual disorders in traditional chinese medicine, has been reported to possess some neuroprotective effects on permanent focal ischemia and transient forebrain ischemia.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Based on previous work, we intended to investigate the protective effects of LIG on parietal cortex and hippocampus of rats in chronic cerebral hypoperfusion model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Chronic cerebral hypoperfusion was induced by permanent, bilateral common carotid artery's occlusion (2VO). The rats were treated with LIG (80mg/kg, by oral) from the eighth day after surgery for seven consecutive days. Their spatial learning and memory abilities were assessed using the Morris water maze. After six days for maze test, rats were sacrificed. Coronal sections in cortex and hippocampus were stained with cresyl violet or labeled with NeuN (Neuronal Nuclei), MAP-2 (Microtubule-Associated Protein-2), Caspase-3 and GFAP (Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein) antibodies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  LIG treatment for seven days decreased escape latency and swimming distance of 2VO rats from the third day in maze tests, and increased percent time in the target quadrant. LIG prevented neuronal loss, dendrites damage and neuronal apoptosis in both parietal cortex and hippocampus of 2VO rats; and it also inhibited astrocytic activation and proliferation stimulated by hypoperfusion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results demonstrate that LIG show obvious neuroprotective potential for treating chronic cerebral hypoperfusion injury, which may be attributed to its anti-apoptosis of neuron and anti-proliferation of astrocyte both in cortex and in hippocampus of 2VO rats. We suggest that LIG can be developed as an effective drugs for the prevention of vascular dementia (VD).
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurochemistry, Institute for Nautical Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong, China.
authors.forename: Zhanbo
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Yapeng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Xiaomei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Jiejia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Zhongming
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D015107:4-Butyrolactone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D008517:Phytotherapy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; C027820:ligustilide; D015107:4-Butyrolactone