title: Partially purified components of Uncaria sinensis attenuate blood brain barrier disruption after ischemic brain injury in mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Uncaria sinensis (US) has long been used in traditional Korean medicine to relieve various nervous-related symptoms and cardiovascular disease. We recently showed the neuroprotective and cerebrovascular protective effects of US on cerebral ischemia; however, its effects on the blood-brain barrier (BBB) are poorly understood. In this study, the effects of partially purified components of US (PPUS) on BBB disruption were investigated in mice subjected to ischemic brain injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  Focal cerebral ischemia was induced in C57BL/6J mice by photothrombotic cortical ischemia. PPUS was injected intraperitoneally 30 min before ischemic insults. Infarct volume, neurological score, wire-grip test, Evans blue leakage and brain water content were then examined 24 h after ischemic brain injury.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Infarct volume was significantly reduced and neurological deficit and motor deficit were greatly improved in PPUS-pretreated mice relative to those treated with vehicle following photothrombotic cortical ischemia. Brain edema-induced change of Evans blue extravasation and water content in the ipsilateral hemisphere were alleviated by treatment with PPUS. In addition, PPUS significantly reduced ischemic brain injury-induced degradation of tight junction proteins and elevation of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PPUS prevents cerebral ischemic damage by BBB protection, and these effects were associated with inhibition of tight junction degradation and MMP-9 induction.
authors.affiliation: Division of Meridian and Structural Medicine, School of Korean Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan, Gyeongnam, 626-870, Republic of Korea. west_tiger@naver.com.
authors.forename: Hyung Bum
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.affiliation: Division of Meridian and Structural Medicine, School of Korean Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan, Gyeongnam, 626-870, Republic of Korea. forevermjhj@naver.com.
authors.forename: Bo Kyung
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: Division of Meridian and Structural Medicine, School of Korean Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan, Gyeongnam, 626-870, Republic of Korea. lemon2853@nate.com.
authors.forename: Ji Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Horticultural Bioscience, College of Natural Resource and Life Science, Pusan National University, Miryang, Gyeongnam, 626-706, Republic of Korea. ywchoi@pusan.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Young Whan
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Medicine 1, School of Korean Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan, Gyeongnam, 626-870, Republic of Korea. jwhong@pusan.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Jin Woo
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Division of Meridian and Structural Medicine, School of Korean Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan, Gyeongnam, 626-870, Republic of Korea. choibt@pusan.ac.kr.|Korean Medical Science Research Center for Healthy-Aging, Pusan National University, Yangsan, Gyeongnam, 626-870, Republic of Korea. choibt@pusan.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Byung Tae
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Division of Meridian and Structural Medicine, School of Korean Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan, Gyeongnam, 626-870, Republic of Korea. julie@pusan.ac.kr.|Korean Medical Science Research Center for Healthy-Aging, Pusan National University, Yangsan, Gyeongnam, 626-870, Republic of Korea. julie@pusan.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Hwa Kyoung
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Shin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D001929:Brain Edema / Q000188:drug therapy; D001930:Brain Injuries; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000378:metabolism; D055670:Medicine, Korean Traditional; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020521:Stroke / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D019108:Tight Junctions / Q000187:drug effects; D032070:Uncaria / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9