title: Effects of oxysophoridine on amino acids after cerebral ischemic injury in mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Our previous studies demonstrated that oxysophoridine (OSR) had neuroprotective effects on mice through antioxidant and anti-apoptotic mechanisms. In this study, we investigated whether OSR could influence the release of amino acids in ischemic mice brains.
  
  
  METHODS
  Male ICR mice were scheduled to undergo 2 h middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and 24 h reperfusion. Before MCAO, mice in corresponding groups were intraperitoneally injected with OSR (62.5, 125 and 250 mg/kg) for seven successive days. After reperfusion, neurological scores were estimated, infarct volume and the brain water content were assessed. The levels of glutamate (Glu), aspartate (Asp), γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and Glycine (Gly) were measured by amino acid analyzer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  OSR significantly decreased neurological scores, reduced infarct volume and the brain water content. After treatment with OSR of 250 mg/kg, the contents of Glu, Asp, GABA and Gly in mice brains could maintain at a normal level compared with MCAO group mice. The Glu/GABA ratio was significantly decreased in OSR group mice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings indicate that OSR has a protective effect on cerebral ischemic injury and helps to maintain the amino acids homeostasis after reperfusion for a long time.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, PR China.
authors.forename: Tengfei
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, PR China.
authors.forename: Yuxiang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, PR China.
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Technology Centre, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, PR China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Technology Centre, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, PR China.
authors.forename: Xiaomin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, PR China.
authors.forename: Yinju
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, PR China.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Fertility Preservation and Maintenance, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, PR China.
authors.forename: Chengjun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Craniocerebral Diseases of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, PR China.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, PR China ; Ningxia Hui Medicine Modern Engineering Research Center, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, PR China.
authors.forename: Jianqiang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, PR China.
authors.forename: Ru
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, PR China.
authors.forename: Shaoju
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jin
keywords: Amino acids homeostasis; cerebral ischemic injury; excitatory amino acids; inhibitory amino acids; oxysophoridine