Abstract
BackgroundAstragalus is a widely used traditional Chinese medicine and has been proven beneficial for many aspects of human health. It is important to explore the neuroprotective effect and mechanism of astragalus injection in cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury.MethodsThe focal cerebral ischemic model with middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) reperfusion was established by Longa’s method in healthy adult male Wistar rats, and treated by injecting intraperitoneally astragalus injection (3 ml/kg). The neurobehavioral function of rats was evaluated by Longa’s test. The cerebral blood flow (CBF) was measured by laser Doppler flowmetry and the cerebral infarct volume was calculated by tetrazolium chloride (TTC) stain. The shape and structure of neurons in parahippocampal area was observed by HE stain and the neuronal apoptosis was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) and flow cytometry. The expressions of c-jun N-terminal kinase 3 (JNK3) mRNA and protein were determined by RT-PCR and immunohistochemical assay and Western blotting respectively.ResultsAfter treatment with astragalus injection, the expressions of JNK3 mRNA and protein reduced significantly, the number of neuronal apoptosis minus, the cerebral infarct volume shrink, the neuronal shape-structure and animal neurobehavioral function improved significantly than those in model rats.ConclusionsIt is suggested that astragalus injection could inhibit neuronal apoptosis, reduce infarct volume and improve neurobehavioral function by down-regulating the expression of JNK3 gene after cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury in rats.
Highlights
Astragalus is a widely used traditional Chinese medicine and has been proven beneficial for many aspects of human health
This work aims further to study the influence of astragalus injection on the expression of jun N-terminal kinase 3 (JNK3) and neuronal apoptosis following cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury, as well as its neuroprotective mechanism
No cerebral infarct area was found in the brain tissue of control group rats (CIV = 0), while a large infarct volume (CIV = 70.50 ± 6.75) existed in model group, and Cerebral infarct volume (CIV) reduced to 45.35 ± 5.62 in treatment group significantly (t = 8.11, P
Summary
Astragalus is a widely used traditional Chinese medicine and has been proven beneficial for many aspects of human health. It is important to explore the neuroprotective effect and mechanism of astragalus injection in cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury. Previous experiments shown some ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine have neuroprotctive role [10,11]. Qu et al [12,13] reported that astragaloside, a main ingredient of astragalus injection, could decrease leukocyte infusion in cerebral ischemia reperfusion tissue, and reduce inflammatory reaction and brain edema. The research results of Ye et al [14,15] indicated that astragalus injection could inhibit the apoptosis-associated gene JNK3 expression, but its neuroprotective mechanism is not very clear [16,17]. This work aims further to study the influence of astragalus injection on the expression of JNK3 and neuronal apoptosis following cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury, as well as its neuroprotective mechanism
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