peoniflorin and Cerebral-Infarction

The purpose of this paper was to study the protective effect of paeoniflorin on acute cerebral ischemia. The animal model of cerebral infarction induced by Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion (MCAO) was blocked by the suture method. Sixty SD rats were randomly divided into the shame group, MCAO group, paeoniflorin (60, 120, 240 mg/kg, respectively) and Nimodipine (NMDP) group (n = 10 per group).. The rats were intragastrically administered immediately after the operation. After 7 days of gavage, the brains were decapitated at 24 h. Hematoxylin and Eosin (HE) staining was used to observe the degree of cell damage in the cerebral cortex of rats. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect silver plating and to observe changes in nerve cells. Rats in the model group showed obvious symptoms of neurological deficits, such as the ischemic morphological changed, the Malondialdehyde (MDA), Lactate Dehydrogenase (LD) content and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity were significantly increased in the ischemic brain tissue, while the Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) activity was decreased.. The decrease in Na+-K+-ATPase activity was significantly lower than that in the sham group. The neurological symptoms and signs of MCAO in the different doses of paeoniflorin group were improved, and the neuronal edema in the cortical area was alleviated. The activities of SOD, LDH and Na+-K+-ATPase were significantly increased, and the contents of MDA and LD were decreased.. Therefore, paeoniflorin could alleviate the degree of tissue damage in rats with acute cerebral infarction, inhabit the formation of free radicals in the brain tissue after ischemia, and reduce the degree of lipid peroxidation. Thus, the degree of cell damage was reduced greatly and a protective effect was showed on cerebral ischemia.

Topics: Acute Disease; Animals; Brain; Cerebral Infarction; Disease Models, Animal; Glucosides; Lipid Peroxidation; Male; Malondialdehyde; Monoterpenes; Neurons; Neuroprotective Agents; Nimodipine; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Reperfusion Injury; Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase; Superoxide Dismutase

Paeoniflorin (PF), the principal component of Paeoniae Radix prescribed in traditional Chinese medicine, has been reported to exhibit many pharmacological effects including protection against ischemic injury. However, the mechanisms underlying the protective effects of PF on cerebral ischemia are still under investigation. The present study showed that PF treatment for 14 days could significantly inhibit transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO)-induced over-activation of astrocytes and microglia, and prevented up-regulations of pro-inflamamtory mediators (TNFα, IL-1β, iNOS, COX(2) and 5-LOX) in plasma and brain. Further study demonstrated that chronic treatment with PF suppressed the activations of JNK and p38 MAPK, but enhanced ERK activation. And PF could reverse ischemia-induced activation of NF-κB signaling pathway. Moreover, our in vitro study revealed that PF treatment protected against TNFα-induced cell apoptosis and neuronal loss. Taken together, the present study demonstrates that PF produces a delayed protection in the ischemia-injured rats via inhibiting MAPKs/NF-κB mediated peripheral and cerebral inflammatory response. Our study reveals that PF might be a potential neuroprotective agent for stroke.

Topics: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; Astrocytes; bcl-2-Associated X Protein; Benzoates; Brain; Brain Ischemia; Bridged-Ring Compounds; Cerebral Infarction; Cyclooxygenase 2; Cytochromes c; Disease Models, Animal; Gene Expression Regulation; Glucosides; Hippocampus; Inflammation; Interleukin-1beta; Lipoxygenase; Male; Microglia; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; Monoterpenes; Neurons; NF-kappa B; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; Rats; Signal Transduction; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

Paeoniflorin, a component in Paeonia lactiflora Pall, inhibits nuclear factor-kappaB expression in chronic hypoperfusion rat and has anti-inflammatory properties. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of paeoniflorin on cerebral infarct, and the involvement of anti-inflammation. We established an animal model of cerebral infarct by occluding both the common carotid arteries and the right middle cerebral artery for 90 min, followed by reperfusion of 24 hours. The ratios of cerebral infarction area to total brain area, and neuro-deficit score were used as an index to observe the effects of paeoniflorin on cerebral infarct. ED1 (mouse anti rat CD68), interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), intercellular adhesion molecular-1 (ICAM-1), myeloperoxidase (MPO) immunostaining and apoptotic cells in the cerebral infarction region also were studied. The results indicated that both pre-treatment and post-treatment with paeoniflorin reduced the ratio of cerebral infarction area; pre-treatment with paeoniflorin also reduced the neurological deficit score. The counts of ED1, IL-1beta, TNF-alpha, ICAM-1 of microvessels and MPO immunoreactive cells and apoptotic cells were increased in the cerebral infarction region; however, these increases were reduced by Paeoniflorin pre-treatment. In conclusion, Paeoniflorin reduced cerebral infarct and neurological deficit in ischemia-reperfusion injured rats, suggesting that paeoniflorin may have a similar effect in humans and might be a suitable treatment for stroke. Paeoniflorin reduced cerebral infarct, at least in part, involves the anti-inflammatory properties.

Topics: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Antigens, CD; Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic; Apoptosis; Benzoates; Brain; Bridged-Ring Compounds; Cerebral Infarction; Disease Models, Animal; Glucosides; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; Interleukin-1beta; Monoterpenes; Nervous System Diseases; Paeonia; Peroxidase; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Reperfusion Injury; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

Chronic cerebral hypoperfusion, a mild ischemic condition, is associated with the cognitive deficits of AD. Paeoniflorin (PF), a major constituent of peony root, was proved to be neuroprotective in middle cerebral artery occlusion model. In this study, we investigated whether PF could attenuate chronic cerebral hypoperfusion-induced learning dysfunction and brain damage in rat. Seven weeks after permanent bilateral occlusion of the common carotid arteries, the rats were tested in the Morris water maze. Subsequently, the animals were sacrificed and neurons, astrocytes and microglias were labeled with immunocytochemistry in hippocampus. PF at the dose of 2.5 mg/kg ameliorated cerebral hypoperfusion-related learning dysfunction and prevented CA1 neuron damage. Chronic cerebral hypoperfusion increased the immunoreactivity of astrocytes and microglias in hippocampus. The increase was prevented by PF at the dose of 2.5 mg/kg. Cerebral hypoperfusion also increased expression of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB), mostly in astrocytes, but not in neurons. With the treatment of PF (2.5 mg/kg), NF-kappaB immunostaining was diminished in hippocampus. Our results demonstrated that PF could attenuate cognitive deficit and brain damage induced by chronic cerebral hypoperfusion and that suppression of neuroinflammatory reaction in brain might be involved in PF-induced neuroprotection.

Topics: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; Benzoates; Biomarkers; Brain Damage, Chronic; Brain Ischemia; Bridged-Ring Compounds; Cerebral Infarction; Disease Models, Animal; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Encephalitis; Gliosis; Glucosides; Hippocampus; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery; Learning Disabilities; Male; Maze Learning; Memory Disorders; Monoterpenes; Nerve Degeneration; Neuroglia; Neurons; Neuroprotective Agents; NF-kappa B; Rats; Treatment Outcome