Zizyphus attenuates ischemic damage in the gerbil hippocampus via its antioxidant effect.

Abstract

The fruit of Zizyphus jujuba has been used as a traditional Chinese medicinal herb and considered for thousands of years to affect various physiological functions in the body. We obtained a Z. jujuba extract (ZJE) and observed the neuroprotective effects of ZJE against ischemic damage in gerbils that had received repeated oral administrations of ZJE for 10 days. In the ZJE-treated ischemia group, neuronal nuclei (a marker for neurons)-immunoreactive neurons were abundant (58.4% vs. sham group) in the hippocampal CA1 region 4 days after ischemia/reperfusion compared to those in the vehicle-treated ischemia group (11.3%). In addition, ZJE treatment significantly decreased the reactive gliosis of astrocytes and microglia in the CA1 region compared to that in the vehicle-treated group 4 days after ischemia/reperfusion. Immunoreactivities of Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD1) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the ZJE-treated ischemia group were higher those in the vehicle-treated ischemia group 4 days after ischemia/reperfusion. In addition, in the ZJE-treated ischemia group, levels of hydroxynonenal, an indicator of lipid peroxidation, were much lower than those in the vehicle-treated ischemia group after ischemia/reperfusion. These results suggest that the repeated supplements of ZJE can protect neurons from ischemic damage via up-regulation of SOD1 and reduction of lipid peroxidation in the ischemic hippocampal CA1 region.

• Authors: Ki-Yeon Yoo, Hua Li, In Koo Hwang, Jung Hoon Choi, Choong Hyun Lee, Dae Young Kwon, Shi Yong Ryu, Young Sup Kim, Il-Jun Kang, Hyung-Cheul Shin, Moo-Ho Won
• Journal: Journal of medicinal food (J Med Food) Vol. 13 Issue 3 Pg. 557-63 (Jun 2010) ISSN: 1557-7600 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 20521981 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Antioxidants
• Neuroprotective Agents
• Plant Extracts
• SOD1 protein, human
• Superoxide Dismutase
• Superoxide Dismutase-1

Topics

• Animals
• Antioxidants (administration & dosage)
• Brain Ischemia (complications, drug therapy, metabolism)
• CA1 Region, Hippocampal (cytology, drug effects, metabolism)
• Disease Models, Animal
• Gerbillinae
• Humans
• Lipid Peroxidation (drug effects)
• Male
• Neurons (drug effects, metabolism)
• Neuroprotective Agents (administration & dosage)
• Plant Extracts (administration & dosage)
• Reperfusion Injury (drug therapy, metabolism)
• Superoxide Dismutase (genetics, metabolism)
• Superoxide Dismutase-1
• Ziziphus (chemistry)