Effects of the methylene chloride fraction from modified Boyang-Hwan-o-Tang, a polyherbal medicine on transient middle cerebral artery occlusion-induced ischemia in rats.
OBJECTIVE
To study the neuroprotective effect of the methylene chloride fraction from modified Boyang-Hwan-o-Tang (mBHT-MC), especially against neuronal apoptosis.


METHODS
mBHT-MC (10, 25 or 50 mg/kg) was orally administered once per day for 7 days in transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO)-induced ischemic rats. Infarction volumes was measured by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining, neurological deficit score and the expression of apoptotic proteins such as Bcl-2, Bax and caspase-3 by Western blot in MCAO-induced ischemic brain. Neuronal apoptosis in ischemic phenumbra was also investigated by staining with hematoxylin and eosin, Nissl and Hoechst 33342.


RESULTS
mBHT-MC administration in MCAO rats significantly decreased infarction volume and neurological deficit scores. mBHT-MC significantly enhanced Bcl-2 expression, and inhibited Bax and caspase-3 expression in ischemic brain. In addition, mBHT-MC significantly decreased the number of apoptotic neuronal cells in ischemic brains.


CONCLUSIONS
mBHT-MC administration inhibits neuronal death induced by cerebral ischemia in rats, suggesting that mBHT-MC has a neuroprotective property in brain ischemia.
Department of Herbology, College of Oriental Medicine, Dongguk University, Gyeongju, 780-714, Republic of Korea.
Tae Woo
TW
Oh
Hyo Won
HW
Jung
Gil Jo
GJ
Shin
Yong-Ki
YK
Park