Neuroprotective effects of silymarin on ischemia-induced delayed neuronal cell death in rat hippocampus.
We examined the effects of silymarin, which was extracted from Silybum marianum, on delayed neuronal cell death in the rat hippocampus. Rats were divided into four groups: sham-operated rats (sham group), rats which underwent ischemic surgery (control group), rats which were treated with silymarin before and after ischemic surgery (pre group), and rats which were treated with silymarin after ischemic surgery only (post group). We performed the ischemic surgery by occluding the bilateral carotid arteries for 20min and sacrificed the rats one week after the surgery. Silymarin was administered orally at 200mg/kg body weight. Smaller numbers of delayed cell deaths were noted in the rat CA1 region of the pre- and post-groups, and no significant difference was observed between these groups. There were few apoptotic cell deaths in all groups. Compared to the control group, significantly fewer cell deaths by autophagy were found in the pre- and post-group. We concluded that silymarin exerts a preservation effect on delayed neuronal cell death in the rat hippocampus and this effect has nothing to do with the timing of administering of silymarin.
Department of Neurosurgery, Nihon University School of Medicine, 30-1, Oyaguchi-Kamicho, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 173-8610, Japan.
Koki
K
Hirayama
Department of Neurosurgery, Nihon University School of Medicine, 30-1, Oyaguchi-Kamicho, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 173-8610, Japan.
Hideki
H
Oshima
Division of Biology, Department of Liberal Education, Nihon University School of Medicine, 30-1, Oyaguchi-Kamicho, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 173-8610, Japan. Electronic address: namikawa.akiko@nihon-u.ac.jp.
Akiko
A
Yamashita
Laboratory of Integrative Biomedical Engineering, Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, College of Engineering, Nihon University, 1 Nakagawara, Tokusada, Tamuramachi, Koriyama-shi, Fukushima, 963-8642, Japan.
Kaoru
K
Sakatani
Department of Neurosurgery, Nihon University School of Medicine, 30-1, Oyaguchi-Kamicho, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 173-8610, Japan.
Atsuo
A
Yoshino
Department of Neurosurgery, Nihon University School of Medicine, 30-1, Oyaguchi-Kamicho, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 173-8610, Japan.
Yoichi
Y
Katayama
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D001343:Autophagy / Q000187:drug effects*; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D020944:Silybum marianum; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012838:Silymarin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000302:isolation & purification
D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D012838:Silymarin
Apoptosis; Autophagy; Delayed neuronal cell death; Neuroprotection; Silymarin