title: [Neuroprotective effect of progesterone on focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats and its mechanism].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the neurological protective effects of progesterone (PROG) on focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats and to explore its possible mechanism.
  
  
  METHODS
  One handred and twenty male SD rats were divided into three groups randomly: sham-operated group, middle cerebral artery occlusion ( MCAO ) group and PROG + MCAO group( n = 40). The right temporary MCAO model was established by the line-embolism method. The PROG + MCAO group rats were according to 8 mg/kg intraperitoneal injection PROG, after that 30 min, the rats were suffered ischemia/reperfusion. After rats were suffered ischemia for 2 h and reperfusion 0, 24, 48, 72 h stress, the nervous functional defect degree were evaluated by longe scoring, and the expression of two-pore domain K channel 3 (TASK3) mRNA in brain tissue were detected by the real-time PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PROG (8 mg/kg) could significantly reduced the nervous functional defect degree in rats after ischemia/reperfusion 24, 48, 72 h (P < 0.05). The results of real-time PCR showed that the TASK3 mRNA expression in the brain tissue at all time points significantly decreased in MCAO group compared with sham-operated group (P < 0.05). However, compared with MCAO group, the expression of TASK3 mRNA in brain tissue at all time points dramatically increased in PROG + MCAO group (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PROG can improve the nervous functional defect degree after focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats, and the mechanism might be associated with up-regulating the expression of TASK3 mRNA in brain tissue.
authors.forename: Xin-juan
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Lin-yu
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Chao-kun
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Dong-liang
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D020244:Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery; D008297:Male; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D024683:Potassium Channels, Tandem Pore Domain / Q000378:metabolism; D011374:Progesterone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: C407082:Kcnk9 protein, rat; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D024683:Potassium Channels, Tandem Pore Domain; D011374:Progesterone