Abstract
Guhong injection (GHI) is a drug for ischemic stroke created by combining safflower, a traditional Chinese medicine, and aceglutamide, a Western medicine. In this study, we investigated the curative effect of GHI on cerebral ischemia–reperfusion (I/R) injury via the PKC/HIF-1α pathway in rats. Adult male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into seven groups: sham-operated, middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), GHI, nimodipine injection (NMDP), MCAO + LY317615 (PKC inhibitor), GHI + LY317615, and NMDP + LY317615. After establishing an MCAO rat model, we performed neurological deficit testing, 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining, hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Western blotting, and q-PCR to detect the brain damage in rats. Compared with the MCAO group, the GHI and GHI + LY317615 group showed neurological damage amelioration as well as decreases in serum hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), protein kinase C (PKC), and erythropoietin levels; brain HIF-1α and inducible nitric oxide synthase protein expression; and brain HIF-1α and NOX-4 mRNA expression. These effects were similar to those in the positive control groups NMDP and NMDP + LY317615. Thus, our results confirmed GHI can ameliorate cerebral I/R injury in MCAO rats possibly via the PKC/HIF-1α pathway.
Highlights
Ischemic stroke, a serious cerebrovascular disorder, is a leading cause of death and disability globally (Wang et al, 2013; Yuan et al, 2020)
Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits for hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), EPO, and protein kinase C (PKC) were purchased from Nanjing Jiancheng Bioengineering Institute (Nanjing, China). inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), PHD2, and HIF-1α antibodies were purchased from abcam Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (Hangzhou, China)
Compared with the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) group, the Guhong injection (GHI), nimodipine injection (NMDP), MCAO + LY317615, GHI + LY317615, and NMDP + LY317615 groups showed significant decreased in the Longa scores on days 1, 3, and 7 (P < 0.01), indicating that GHI could alleviate neurological deficits
Summary
A serious cerebrovascular disorder, is a leading cause of death and disability globally (Wang et al, 2013; Yuan et al, 2020). Guhong injection (GHI) is a typical sterile solution created by combining aqueous Carthamus tinctorius Linné [Asteraceae; Carthami Flos] extract (a traditional Chinese medicine) and aceglutamide (a Western medicine) (Wang et al, 2020). In other words, this is a preparation innovation for the sublimation of ethnomedicine or ethnopharmacy. Carthamus tinctorius Linné is commonly known as Safflower (honghua in Chinese), which is used in a dried form for treating various cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases clinically because its effects include blood stasis removal and meridian dredging (Zhang et al, 2016). The mechanism underlying GHI’s effects on cerebral I/R injury has not been elucidated
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