title: Protective effect of Sheng-Nao-Kang decoction on focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sheng-Nao-Kang decoction (SNK), a modified traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has been used clinically for the treatment of acute and chronic cerebrovascular related diseases. To evaluate the protective effect of SNK on focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury in rats and investigate the underlying mechanisms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Focal cerebral I/R injury in rats was induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) for 2h followed by reperfusion for 24h. Adult male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into six kinds of groups: Sham group; I/R group; SNK-treated groups at doses of 0.7 g/kg, 1.4 g/kg and 2.8 g/kg; and nimodipine (NMP)-treated group. The recoveries of neurological function in rats were estimated by neurological defect scoring and 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining after 24h reperfusion. Various biochemical indexes in serum were assayed by colorimetry, including malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and total nitric oxide synthase (TNOS). Histological structures of the brain in rats were observed by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. Immunohistochemistry was performed to detect the caspase-3 protein content in rats.
  
  
  RESULTS
  SNK administration significantly reduced the neurological defect scores and lessened the cerebral infarction volume. The treatment of SNK lowered MDA content, up-regulated SOD and GSH-Px levels, down-regulated iNOS and TNOS levels in serum. Furthermore, histological examination indicated that dense neuropil and largely surviving neurons were seen in SNK-treated rats. SNK administration restrained the expression of caspase-3 positive protein significantly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that SNK demonstrates a strong and ameliorative effect on cerebral I/R damage in rats. The protective mechanisms of SNK are associated with its properties of anti-apoptosis and anti-oxidation as well as regulation of iNOS and TNOS.
authors.affiliation: Biomedicine Key Laboratory of Shaanxi Province, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, PR China.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Biomedicine Key Laboratory of Shaanxi Province, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, PR China. Electronic address: zhaoye@nwu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Ye
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, PR China.
authors.forename: Tianlong
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Biomedicine Key Laboratory of Shaanxi Province, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, PR China.
authors.forename: Xuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Dang
authors.affiliation: Biomedicine Key Laboratory of Shaanxi Province, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, PR China.
authors.forename: Renming
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: Biomedicine Key Laboratory of Shaanxi Province, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, PR China.
authors.forename: Zhenzhi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Biomedicine Key Laboratory of Shaanxi Province, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, PR China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Biomedicine Key Laboratory of Shaanxi Province, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, PR China.
authors.forename: Yuli
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Biomedicine Key Laboratory of Shaanxi Province, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, PR China.
authors.forename: Wenna
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: The 323rd hospital of People's Liberation Army, Xi'an 710069, PR China.
authors.forename: Hongru
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Song
mesh_terms: D045784:Abietanes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D002109:Caffeic Acids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002396:Catechols / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000187:drug effects; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009553:Nimodipine / Q000494:pharmacology; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D045784:Abietanes; D002109:Caffeic Acids; D002396:Catechols; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; C000591273:Sheng-Nao-Kang; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D009553:Nimodipine; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D053148:Caspase 3
keywords: 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride; ANOVA; Anti-apoptosis; Anti-oxidation; CCA; ECA; Focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury; GSH-Px; H&E; HPLC; I/R; ICA; IPP; Image-Pro Plus; MCAO; MDA; NMP; NO; RNS; ROS; S.E.M.; SD; SNK; SOD; Sheng-Nao-Kang decoction; Sprague-Dawley; TCM; TNOS; TTC; common carotid artery; external carotid artery; glutathione peroxidase; hematoxylin and eosin; high performance liquid chromatography; iNOS; inducible nitric oxide synthase; internal carotid artery; ischemia-reperfusion; malondialdehyde; middle cerebral artery occlusion; nimodipine; nitric oxide; one-way analysis of variance; p.o.; per os; reactive nitrogen radicals; reactive oxygen species; standard error of mean; superoxide dismutase; total nitric oxide synthase; traditional Chinese medicine