Rutaecarpine, an active component of the
traditional Chinese medicine Tetradium ruticarpum, has been shown to improve
myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury. Because both cardiovascular and
cerebrovascular diseases are forms of ischemic
vascular disease, they are closely related. We hypothesized that
rutaecarpine also has
neuroprotective effects on
cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury. A
cerebral ischemia reperfusion model was established after 84, 252 and 504 μg/kg carpine were given to mice via
intraperitoneal injection, daily for 7 days. Results of the step through test, 2,3,5-triphenyl tetrazolium
chloride dyeing and oxidative stress indicators showed that
rutaecarpine could improve learning and memory ability, neurological symptoms and reduce
infarction volume and cerebral water content in mice with
cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury.
Rutaecarpine could significantly decrease the
malondialdehyde content and increase the activities of
superoxide dismutase and
glutathione peroxidase in mouse brain. Therefore,
rutaecarpine could improve neurological function following injury induced by
cerebral ischemia reperfusion, and the mechanism of this improvement may be associated with oxidative stress. These results verify that
rutaecarpine has
neuroprotective effects on
cerebral ischemia reperfusion in mice.