title: Lycium barbarum polysaccharide prevents focal cerebral ischemic injury by inhibiting neuronal apoptosis in mice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the neuroprotective effect of Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) on focal cerebral ischemic injury in mice and to explore its possible mechanism.
  
  
  METHODS
  Male ICR mice were used to make the model of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) after intragastric administration with LBP (10, 20 and 40 mg/kg) and Nimodipine (0.4 mg/kg) for seven successive days. After 24 h of reperfusion, neurological scores were estimated and infarct volumes were measured by 2, 3, 5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining. Morphological changes in ischemic brains were performed for hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. The number of apoptotic neurons was detected by TUNEL staining. The Bax, Bcl-2 protein expression and CytC, Caspase-3, -9 and cleaved PARP-1 activation were investigated by immunofluorescence and western-blot analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  LBP (10, 20 and 40 mg/kg) treatment groups significantly reduced infract volume and neurological deficit scores. LBP also relieved neuronal morphological damage and attenuated the neuronal apoptosis. LBP at the dose of 40 mg/kg significantly suppressed overexpression of Bax, CytC, Caspase-3, -9 and cleaved PARP-1, and inhibited the reduction of Bcl-2 expression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on these findings we propose that LBP protects against focal cerebral ischemic injury by attenuating the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Tengfei
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yuxiang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yongsheng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ru
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Key Lab of Craniocerebral Diseases of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yinju
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Shaoju
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Fertility Preservation and Maintenance, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Chengjun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Key Lab of Craniocerebral Diseases of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, People's Republic of China; Ningxia Hui Medicine Modern Engineering Research Center, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jianqiang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D020244:Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects*; D000071137:Poly (ADP-Ribose) Polymerase-1; D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; C500223:lycium barbarum polysaccharide; C499321:Parp1 protein, mouse; D000071137:Poly (ADP-Ribose) Polymerase-1; D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases