Protective effect of Naoxintong against cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury in mice

Abstract

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Naoxintong (NXT), a renowned traditional Chinese medicine in China, has been used for the treatment of acute and chronic cardio-cerebrovascular diseases in clinic for more than 20 years.

Aim of the study: To evaluate the potential neuroprotective effect of NXT against ischemia reperfusion (I/R) injury in mice and investigate the underlying mechanisms.

Materials and methods: Focal cerebral I/R injury in adult male CD-1 mice was induced by transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) for 1h followed by reperfusion for 23h. Mice were randomly divided into five groups: Sham group; tMCAO group; Vehicle group; NXT-treated groups at doses of 0.36g/kg and 0.54g/kg. The effects of NXT on murine neurological function were estimated by neurological defect scores, infarct volume and brain water content at 24h after tMCAO. Immunohistochemistry and Western blot were used to detect the expression of LOX-1, pERK1/2 and NF-κB at 24h after tMCAO. qRT-PCR was used to detect the expression of LOX-1 and NF-κB at 24h after tMCAO.

Results: Compared with Vehicle group, 0.54g/kg group of NXT significantly ameliorated neurological outcome, infarction volume and brain water content, decreased the expression of LOX-1, pERK1/2 and NF-κB (P<0.05).

Conclusion: NXT protected the mice brain against I/R injury, and this protection maybe associated with the down-regulation of LOX-1, pERK1/2 and NF-κB expression.

Keywords: Cerebral ischemia reperfusion; ERK1/2; LOX-1; NF-κB; Naoxintong; Neuroprotection; Paeoniflorin (PubChem CID: 442534); Salvianolic acid B (PubChem CID: 6451084); Tanshinone IIA (PubChem CID: 164676).