title: The aqueous extract of rhizome of Gastrodia elata Blume attenuates locomotor defect and inflammation after traumatic brain injury in rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Traumatic brain injury (TBI) has an incident rate of 200-300 people per 100,000 annually in the developed countries. TBI has relatively high incidence at an early age and may cause long-term physical disability. Patients suffered from severe TBI would have motor and neuropsychological malfunctions, affecting their daily activities. Traditionally, Gastrodia elata Blume is a Chinese Medicines which was used for the head diseases, while their efficiency on reducing brain damage was still largely unknown. In the present study, we aimed to examine the effect of water extract of G. elata Blume (GE) against TBI and elucidate its underlying mechanism.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with GE for 7 days, immediately after controlled cortical impact-induced TBI. Impaired neurobehavioral functioning was measured on day 3 and 6 after TBI. Histology of TBI was examined to assess the extent of inflammation, and the expressions of pro-inflammatory cytokines were examined by immunofluorescence study on day 7.
  
  
  RESULTS
  GE treatment significantly improved the impaired locomotor functions induced by TBI. GE treatment reduced inflammation and gliosis in the penumbral area. The increase in brain levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha observed in non-GE treated TBI rats were also reversed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  GE treatment attenuated the locomotor deficit caused by TBI. The anti-inflammatory activity might be mediated by inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines responses in the TBI-brain.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong; State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry & Plant Resources in West China, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong. Electronic address: ncf0000@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Chun-Fai
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong; State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry & Plant Resources in West China, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong. Electronic address: gohey@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Chun-Hay
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong; State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry & Plant Resources in West China, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong. Electronic address: johnnykoon@cuhk.edu.hk.
authors.forename: Chi-Man
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Koon
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong; Chow Tai Fook-Cheng Yu Tung Surgical Stem Cell Research Center, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. Electronic address: donchin@surgery.cuhk.edu.hk.
authors.forename: Wai-Ching
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Chin
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong; Chow Tai Fook-Cheng Yu Tung Surgical Stem Cell Research Center, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. Electronic address: b114332@mailserv.cuhk.edu.hk.
authors.forename: Hiu Ching Sonya Themis
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Kwong
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. Electronic address: awilo@cuhk.edu.hk.
authors.forename: Anthony Wing-Ip
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Lo
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong; State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry & Plant Resources in West China, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong. Electronic address: vhlwong@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Hing-Lok
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong; State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry & Plant Resources in West China, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong; School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong. Electronic address: kpfung@cuhk.edu.hk.
authors.forename: Kwok-Pui
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Fung
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong; State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry & Plant Resources in West China, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong. Electronic address: claralau@cuhk.edu.hk.
authors.forename: Clara Bik-San
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong; Chow Tai Fook-Cheng Yu Tung Surgical Stem Cell Research Center, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. Electronic address: lampingkuen@yahoo.com.hk.
authors.forename: Ping-Kuen
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong. Electronic address: wpoon@surgery.cuhk.edu.hk.
authors.forename: Wai Sang
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Poon
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong; State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry & Plant Resources in West China, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong. Electronic address: pingcleung@cuhk.edu.hk.
authors.forename: Ping-Chung
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Leung
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000070642:Brain Injuries, Traumatic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D031668:Gastrodia / Q000737:chemistry*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008124:Locomotion / Q000187:drug effects*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D027343:Rhizome / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts
keywords: Controlled cortical impact; Gastrodia elata Blume; Inflammation; Rotarod; Traumatic brain injury