Sophora Japonica L. (SJ) is a traditional Chinese herb used to cool blood, stop
bleeding and to treat
hemorrhoids with
bleeding. Although several recent studies found that both SJ and Ginkgo biloba have the same components of
quercetin and
rutin, only Ginkgo biloba has been widely used to treat
cerebrovascular disorders and
dementia in humans. This study investigated the effect of SJ on
cerebral infarct in rats. A total of 66 Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were studied. Focal
cerebral infarct was established by occluding the bilateral common carotid arteries and the right middle cerebral artery for 90 minutes. After 24 hours of reperfusion, the neurological status was evaluated. The rats were then killed, and brain tissue was stained with 2,3,5-triphenyl-tetrazolium
chloride. The grading scale of neurological deficit and the ratio of
cerebral infarction area were used as an index to evaluate the effect of SJ on
cerebral infarct. In addition, the number of ED1 and
interleukin-1beta immunostaining positive cells, and apoptotic cells were measured in the
cerebral infarction zone. The results indicated that pre-treatment with 100 or 200 mg/kg SJ and post-treatment with 200 mg/kg SJ significantly reduced the grade of neurological deficit and the ratio of
cerebral infarction area. In addition, pre-treatment with 200 mg/kg SJ also significantly reduced ED1 and
interleukin-1beta immunostaining positive cells, and apoptotic cells in
ischemia-reperfusion
cerebral infarct rats. This study demonstrated that SJ could reduce the
cerebral infarction area and neurological deficit induced by
ischemia-reperfusion in rats, suggesting its potential as a treatment for
cerebral infarct in humans. This effect of SJ involves its suppressive action of microglia,
interleukin-1beta and apoptosis.