title: Carthamus tinctoriusL. ameliorates brain injury followed by cerebral ischemia-reperfusion in rats by antioxidative and anti-inflammatory mechanisms.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Carthamus tinctoriusL. (CT) or safflower is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine. This study investigated the effects of CT extract (CTE) on ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) brain injury and elucidated the underlying mechanism.
  
  
  METHODS
  The I/R model was conducted by occlusion of both common carotid arteries and right middle cerebral artery for 90 min followed by 24 hr reperfusion in Sprague-Dawley rats. CTE (0.2-0.6 g/kg) was administered intraperitoneally before and during ischemia, and during reperfusion period. The cerebral infarction area, neurological deficit scores, free radicals (lucigenin chemiluminescence counts) and pro-inflammatory cytokines expression were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pretreatment and treatment with CTE significantly reduced the cerebral infarction area and neurological deficits. CTE (0.4 g/kg) also reduced blood levels of free radicals and expression of tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β in the cerebral infarction area.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The reduction in I/R cerebral infarction caused by CTE is possibly associated with its antioxidation and anti-inflammatory properties.
authors.affiliation: Department of Critical Care Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, 40705, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Pin-Kuei
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Research Center for Industry of Human Ecology, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tai-Long
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: Animal Technology Laboratory, Agriculture Technology Research Institute, Miaoli, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chi-Yu
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Research, Tungs' Taichung MetroHarbor Hospital, Taichung 43503, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Kee-Ching
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Jeng
authors.affiliation: School of Chinese Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Nou-Ying
authors.initials: NY
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Chinese Medicine & Acupuncture, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Integrated Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ching-Liang
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Hsieh
keywords: Carthamus tinctorius-extract; Free radicals; Ischemia-reperfusion Injury