title: Inhibition of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury-induced apoptosis: nicotiflorin and JAK2/STAT3 pathway.
abstract: Nicotiflorin is a flavonoid extracted from Carthamus tinctorius. Previous studies have shown its cerebral protective effect, but the mechanism is undefined. In this study, we aimed to determine whether nicotiflorin protects against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury-induced apoptosis through the JAK2/STAT3 pathway. The cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury model was established by middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion. Nicotiflorin (10 mg/kg) was administered by tail vein injection. Cell apoptosis in the ischemic cerebral cortex was examined by hematoxylin-eosin staining and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling assay. Bcl-2 and Bax expression levels in ischemic cerebral cortex were examined by immunohistochemial staining. Additionally, p-JAK2, p-STAT3, Bcl-2, Bax, and caspase-3 levels in ischemic cerebral cortex were examined by western blot assay. Nicotiflorin altered the shape and structure of injured neurons, decreased the number of apoptotic cells, down-regulates expression of p-JAK2, p-STAT3, caspase-3, and Bax, decreased Bax immunoredactivity, and increased Bcl-2 protein expression and immunoreactivity. These results suggest that nicotiflorin protects against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury-induced apoptosisviathe JAK2/STAT3 pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan Province, China.
authors.forename: Guang-Qiang
authors.initials: GQ
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan Province, China.
authors.forename: Xi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: Drug Discovery Research Center, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan Province, China.
authors.forename: Yong-Jie
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan Province, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Qing
authors.initials: XQ
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan Province, China.
authors.forename: Bi-Qiong
authors.initials: BQ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan Province, China.
authors.forename: Lu
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-8873-9138
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yu
keywords: Bax; Bcl-2; JAK2/STAT3 pathway; brain injury; caspase-3; cell apoptosis; cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury; ischemic stroke; nerve regeneration; neural regeneration; nicotiflorin; terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling; treatment