Synergistic protective effect of astragaloside IV-tetramethylpyrazine against cerebral ischemic-reperfusion injury induced by transient focal ischemia.

Abstract

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE:

Astragaloside IV and tetramethylpyrazine have been extensively used in the cardio-cerbrovascular diseases of medicine as a chief ingredient of glycoside or alkaloid formulations for the treatment of stroke and myocardial ischemia diseases.

AIM OF THE STUDY:

To investigate the effects of astragaloside IV (ASG IV) and tetramethylpyrazine (TMPZ) on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury model in rat model.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Rats were randomly divided into the following five groups: sham group, IR group and treatment group including ASG IV, ASG IV-TMPZ and nimodipine treatment. The therapeutic effect was evaluated by micro-positron emission tomography (Micro-PET) using (18)F-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose. The neurological examination, infarct volume and the levels of oxidative stress- and cell apoptosis-related molecules were assessed.

RESULTS:

Micro-PET imaging showed that glucose metabolism in the right hippocampus was significantly decreased in the IR group compared to the sham group (P<0.01). ASG IV and ASG IV-TMPZ treatments reversed the decreased glucose metabolism in the model group (P<0.05 and P<0.01, respectively). IR induced the increase of Caspase-3 mRNA levels, MDA content and iNOS activity, but it caused the decrease of SOD activity and Bcl-2 expression compared the sham group (P<0.01). ASG IV-TMPZ and ASG IV reversed the IR-induced changes of these parameters, i.e. the down regulation of Caspase-3 mRNA, MDA content and iNOS activity, and the up regulation of SOD activity and Bcl-2 expression (P<0.05).

CONCLUSION:

This study showed that ASG IV-TMPZ played a pivotal synergistic protective role against focal cerebral ischemic reperfusion damage in a rat experimental model.

• Authors: Jiehong Yang, Jinhui Li, Jing Lu, Yuyan Zhang, Zhenhong Zhu, Haitong Wan
• Journal: Journal of ethnopharmacology (J Ethnopharmacol) Vol. 140 Issue 1 Pg. 64-72 (Mar 06 2012) ISSN: 1872-7573 [Electronic] Ireland
• PMID: 22207211 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Cardiovascular Agents
• Neuroprotective Agents
• Plant Extracts
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2
• Pyrazines
• RNA, Messenger
• Saponins
• Triterpenes
• astragaloside A
• Malondialdehyde
• Nimodipine
• Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II
• Superoxide Dismutase
• Caspase 3
• Glucose
• tetramethylpyrazine

Topics

• Animals
• Astragalus Plant (chemistry)
• Cardiovascular Agents (pharmacology)
• Caspase 3 (genetics, metabolism)
• Disease Models, Animal
• Drug Synergism
• Glucose (metabolism)
• Hippocampus (metabolism)
• Ischemic Attack, Transient (drug therapy, metabolism)
• Male
• Malondialdehyde (metabolism)
• Neuroprotective Agents (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Nimodipine (pharmacology)
• Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II (metabolism)
• Phytotherapy
• Plant Extracts (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Positron-Emission Tomography
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 (metabolism)
• Pyrazines (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• RNA, Messenger (metabolism)
• Random Allocation
• Rats
• Rats, Sprague-Dawley
• Reperfusion Injury (metabolism, prevention & control)
• Saponins (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Superoxide Dismutase (metabolism)
• Triterpenes (pharmacology, therapeutic use)