Infarction in adult rat brain was induced by middle cerebral
arterial occlusion (MCAO) followed by reperfusion to examine whether
taxifolin could reduce cerebral ischemic reperfusion (CI/R) injury.
Taxifolin administration (0.1 and 1.0 microg/kg, i.v.) 60 min after MCAO ameliorated
infarction (by 42%+/-7% and 62%+/-6%, respectively), which was accompanied by a dramatic reduction in
malondialdehyde and
nitrotyrosine adduct formation, two markers for oxidative tissue damage. Overproduction of
reactive oxygen species (ROS) and
nitric oxide (NO) via oxidative
enzymes (e.g., COX-2 and iNOS) was responsible for this oxidative damage.
Taxifolin inhibited leukocyte infiltration, and COX-2 and iNOS expressions in CI/R-injured brain.
Taxifolin also prevented Mac-1 and
ICAM-1 expression, two key counter-receptors involved in firm adhesion/transmigration of leukocytes to the endothelium, which partially accounted for the limited leukocyte infiltration. ROS, generated by leukocytes and microglial cells, activated
nuclear factor-kappa B (
NF-kappaB) that in turn signaled up-regulation of inflammatory
proteins.
NF-kappaB activity in CI/R was enhanced 2.5-fold over that of
sham group and was inhibited by
taxifolin. Production of both ROS and NO by leukocytes and microglial cells was significantly antagonized by
taxifolin. These data suggest that amelioration of CI/R injury by
taxifolin may be attributed to its anti-oxidative effect, which in turn modulates
NF-kappaB activation that mediates CI/R injury.