[Protective effects of Chinese herbal medicine Naoshuantong on neurovascular unit in rats with cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the protective effects of Naoshuantong, a compound traditional Chinese herbal medicine, on the main components of neurovascular unit in rats with cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury.


METHODS
A total of 30 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into sham-operated, ischemia/reperfusion, and ischemia/reperfusion plus Naoshuantong groups. The cerebral ischemia was induced by 1.5 h of middle cerebral artery occlusion, followed by unlocking the thread to induce reperfusion injury. After 24 h of reperfusion, neurological functional deficits were assessed, apoptosis of main components of neurovascular unit was determined by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate-biotin nick end-labeling combined with neuronal nuclei antigen, glial fibrillary acidic protein or CD31 immunofluorescence double staining.


RESULTS
Naoshuantong significantly reduced neurological functional deficits, and reduced neuron, astrocyte and vascular endothelium cell apoptosis induced by ischemia/reperfusion injury in the border zone of ischemic cortex.


CONCLUSIONS
Naoshuantong is effective in protecting the neurovascular unit including neurons, astrocytes and vascular endothelium cells against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion-induced apoptosis.
Department of Pharmacy, Qidong People's Hospital, Jiangsu Province, China.
Qi-hong
QH
Shi
Jun
J
Xiang
Xu-ying
XY
Zhu
Ding-fang
DF
Cai
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D008517:Phytotherapy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents