Protective effect of extract of Cordyceps sinensis in middle cerebral artery occlusion-induced focal cerebral ischemia in rats

Zhenquan Liu,Jianyou Guo,Huiling Tang,Dan Zhao,Pengtao Li

doi:10.1186/1744-9081-6-61

Zhenquan Liu, Jianyou Guo + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/1744-9081-6-61

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Abstract

BackgroundIschemic hypoxic brain injury often causes irreversible brain damage. The lack of effective and widely applicable pharmacological treatments for ischemic stroke patients may explain a growing interest in traditional medicines. From the point of view of "self-medication" or "preventive medicine," Cordyceps sinensis was used in the prevention of cerebral ischemia in this paper.MethodsThe right middle cerebral artery occlusion model was used in the study. The effects of Cordyceps sinensis (Caterpillar fungus) extract on mortality rate, neurobehavior, grip strength, lactate dehydrogenase, glutathione content, Lipid Peroxidation, glutathione peroxidase activity, glutathione reductase activity, catalase activity, Na+K+ATPase activity and glutathione S transferase activity in a rat model were studied respectively.ResultsCordyceps sinensis extract significantly improved the outcome in rats after cerebral ischemia and reperfusion in terms of neurobehavioral function. At the same time, supplementation of Cordyceps sinensis extract significantly boosted the defense mechanism against cerebral ischemia by increasing antioxidants activity related to lesion pathogenesis. Restoration of the antioxidant homeostasis in the brain after reperfusion may have helped the brain recover from ischemic injury.ConclusionsThese experimental results suggest that complement Cordyceps sinensis extract is protective after cerebral ischemia in specific way. The administration of Cordyceps sinensis extract significantly reduced focal cerebral ischemic/reperfusion injury. The defense mechanism against cerebral ischemia was by increasing antioxidants activity related to lesion pathogenesis.

Highlights

Ischemic hypoxic brain injury often causes irreversible brain damage
The present study investigated the effects of Cordyceps sinensis on mortality rate, neurobehavior, grip strength, lactate dehydrogenase, glutathione content, Lipid Peroxidation, glutathione peroxidase activity, glutathione reductase activity, catalase activity, Na+K+ATPase activity and glutathione S transferase activity in a rat model
We showed that the Cordyceps sinensis extract significantly improved the outcome in rats after cerebral ischemia and reperfusion in terms of neurobehavioral

Summary

Introduction

Ischemic hypoxic brain injury often causes irreversible brain damage. The lack of effective and widely applicable pharmacological treatments for ischemic stroke patients may explain a growing interest in traditional medicines. From the point of view of “self-medication” or “preventive medicine,” Cordyceps sinensis was used in the prevention of cerebral ischemia in this paper. Ischemic hypoxic brain injury often causes irreversible brain damage. From the point of view of “self-medication” or “preventive medicine,” several dietary supplements are used in the Mushrooms and primarily basidiomycetous fungi are popular and valuable foods that are low in calories and high in minerals, essential amino acids, vitamins, and fibers [2]. Many studies have shown that Cordyceps sinensis (CS) modulates immune responses [5,6,7], inhibits tumor cell proliferation [8,9], enhances hepatic function [10], regulates insulin sensitivity [11], decreases plasma cholesterol levels [12], and has hypotensive and vasorelaxant activity [13]. Huang reported that CS induced 17b-estradiol production [14]

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