Abstract
Chronic cerebral ischemia with a notable long-term cessation of blood supply to the brain tissues leads to sensorimotor defects and short- and long-term memory problems. Neuroprotective agents are used in an attempt to save ischemic neurons from necrosis and apoptosis, such as the antioxidant agent Eucalyptus. Numerous studies have demonstrated the involvement of the renin-angiotensin system in the initiation and progression of cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. Candesartan is a drug that acts as an angiotensin II receptor 1 blocker. We established a rat model exhibiting sensorimotor and cognitive impairments due to chronic cerebral ischemia induced by the ligation of the right common carotid artery. Wistar male rats were randomly divided into five groups: Sham group, Untreated Ligated group, Ischemic group treated with Eucalyptus (500 mg/kg), Ischemic group treated with Candesartan (0.5 mg/kg), and Ischemic group treated with a combination of Eucalyptus and Candesartan. To evaluate the sensorimotor disorders, we performed the beam balance test, the beam walking test, and the modified sticky test. Moreover, the object recognition test and the Morris water maze test were performed to assess the memory disorders of the rats. The infarct rat brain regions were subsequently stained using the triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining technique. The rats in the Sham group had normal sensorimotor and cognitive functions without the appearance of microscopic ischemic brain lesions. In parallel, the untreated Ischemic group showed severe impaired neurological functions with the presence of considerable brain infarctions. The treatment of the Ischemic group with a combination of both Eucalyptus and Candesartan was more efficient in improving the sensorimotor and cognitive deficits (p < 0.001) than the treatment with Eucalyptus or Candesartan alone (p < 0.05), by the comparison to the non-treated Ischemic group. Our study shows that the combination of Eucalyptus and Candesartan could decrease ischemic brain injury and improve neurological outcomes.
Highlights
Stroke is defined as a sudden cessation of blood supply to brain tissue resulting from hemorrhagic or ischemic disease, causing severe neurological impairment [1]
The major goals of our present research work were first to study the neuroprotective effect(s) of the combination of Eucalyptus Camaldulensis leaf extracts and Candesartan (AT1R) against cerebral ischemia induced by chronic unilateral ligation of the right common carotid artery (RCCA) in the rat, and second to investigate for a potential neuroprotective role of the Eucalyptus plant
A weight loss was observed in the Ischemic group, Combination group, Candesartan group, and Eucalyptus group by the end of the experiment, with a significant difference (p < 0.05) compared to the Sham group that showed a gain of weight
Summary
Stroke is defined as a sudden cessation of blood supply to brain tissue resulting from hemorrhagic or ischemic disease, causing severe neurological impairment [1]. Ischemic strokes occur when the arteries of the brain shrink or become blocked, resulting in a significant decrease in blood flow (ischemia). RAAS is involved in the initiation and progression of many pathologies, such as arterial hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, and several neurodegenerative disorders, such as the stroke [6]. Several studies revealed the antioxidant neuroprotective role of Eucalyptus [10]. The major goals of our present research work were first to study the neuroprotective effect(s) of the combination of Eucalyptus Camaldulensis leaf extracts and Candesartan (AT1R) against cerebral ischemia induced by chronic unilateral ligation of the right common carotid artery (RCCA) in the rat, and second to investigate for a potential neuroprotective role of the Eucalyptus plant
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call