Changes in EEG and higher nervous activity of rats during cerebral anti-ischemic protection by acelysin]

The water-soluble aspirin (acelysin) has been used as an anti-ischaemic protector when injected in the dose of 150 mg/kg 30 min before ischaemia. The EEG has been registered during the whole period of experiment and the total EEG power index has been calculated. The higher nervous activity has been evaluated during analysis of rat's abilities for elaboration of conditional reflex of an active escape reaction in Y-labyrinth. The results have demonstrated the complete rehabilitation and restoration of brain functional activity 8 days after endurance of brain ischaemia under protection of acelisin.     

Effects of an inhibitor of adenosine deaminase,deoxycoformycin, and of nucleoside transport,propentofylline, on post-ischemic recovery of adenine nucleotides in rat brain

The effects of an adenosine deaminase inhibitor (deoxycoformycin, 500 μg/kg) and of an inhibitor of nucleoside transport (propentofylline, 10 mg/kg) on adenosine and adenine nucleotide levels in the ischemic rat brain were investigated. The brains of the rats were microwaved before, at the end of a 20 min period of cerebral ischemia (4 vessel occlusion+hypotension), or after 5, 10, 45, and 90 min of reperfusion. Deoxycoformycin increased brain adenosine levels during both ischemia and the initial phases of reperfusion. AMP levels were elevated during ischemia and after 5 min of reperfusion. ATP levels were elevated above those in the non-treated animals after 10 and 45 min of reperfusion. ADP levels were elevated above the non-drug controls at 90 min. These increases in ATP, ADP and AMP resulted in significant increases in total adenylates during ischemia, and after 10 min and 90 min of reperfusion. Propentofylline administration resulted in enhanced AMP levels during ischemia but did not alter adenosine or adenine nucleotide levels during reperfusion in comparison with non-treated controls.     

Contribution of delta1-opioid receptors in regulation of cardiac resistance to ischemia-reperfusion

It has been found that pretreatment with a delta 1-opioid receptor agonist, DPDPE, in dose of 0.1 mg/kg intravenously 15 min before heart isolation, prevents appearance of reperfusion, ventricular arrhythmias during total global ischemia (45 min) and reperfusion (10 min) of isolated rat heart. This effect was dose-dependent. Addition of DPDPE to the perfusion solution in a final concentration of 0.1 mg/L and/or 0.5 mg/L 15 min before ischemia also decreased the incidence of reperfusion arrhythmias in a concentration-dependent manner. Addition of DPDPE to the perfusion solution in a final concentration of 0.1 mg/L also decreased creatine kinase levels in the coronary sinus. However DPDPE had no cardio-protective effect in concentration of 0.5 mg/L or after intravenous administration. A previous intravenous injection of DPDPE in dose of 0.5 mg/kg exacerbated reperfusion-induced contractile dysfunction of isolated heart but exerted no effect in dose of 0.1 mg/kg. Previous perfusion of the rat isolated heart by DPDPE in concentration of 0.1 mg/L and 0.5 mg/L 15 min before ischemia also exacerbated myocardial contractile dysfunction during reperfusion. It is proposed that the antiarrhythmic, cardio-protective and negative inotropic effect of DPDPE during reperfusion may be due to stimulation of cardiac delta-1 receptors.     

Alpha-Phenyl-Tert-Butyl-Nitrone (PBN) Attenuates Hydroxyl Radical Production During Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury of Rat Brain: An EPR Study

-phenyl-tert-butyl-nitrone (PBN) a spin adduct forming agent is believed to have a protective action in ischemia-reperfusion injury of brain by forming adducts of oxygen free radicals including ±OH radical. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) has been used to both detect and monitor the time course of oxygen free radical formation in the in vivo rat cerebral cortex. Cortical cups were placed over both cerebral hemispheres of methoxyflurane anesthetized rats prepared for four vessel occlusion-evoked cerebral ischemia. Prior to the onset of sample collection, both cups were perfused with artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF) containing the spin trap agent -(4-pyridyl-1-oxide)-N-tert butylnitrone (POBN 100 mM) for 20 min. In addition 50 mg/kg BW of POBN was administered intraperitoneally (IP) 20 min prior to ischemia in order to improve our ability to detect free radical adducts. Cup fluid was subsequently replaced every 15 min during ischemia and every 10 min during reperfusion with fresh POBN containing CSF and the collected cortical superfusates were analyzed for radical adducts by EPR spectroscopy. After a basal 10 min collection, cerebral ischemia was induced for 15 or 30 min (confirmed by EEG flattening) followed by a 90 min reperfusion. -OH radical adducts (characterized by six line EPR spectra) were detected during ischemia and 90 min reperfusion. No adduct was detected in the basal sample or after 90 min of reperfusion. Similar results were obtained when diethylenetriaminepenta-acetic acid (100 μM; DETAPAC) a chelating agent was included in the artificial CSF. Systemic administration of PBN (100 mg/kg BW) produced a significant attenuation of radical adduct during reperfusion. A combination of systemic and topical PBN (100 mM) was required to suppress -OH radical adduct formation during ischemia as well as reperfusion. PBN free radical adducts were detected in EPR spectra of the lipid extracts of PBN treated rat brains subjected to ischemia/reperfusion. Thus this study suggests that PBN's protective action in cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury is related to its ability to prevent a cascade of free radical generation by forming spin adducts.     

Alpha-Phenyl-Tert-Butyl-Nitrone (PBN) Attenuates Hydroxyl Radical Production During Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury of Rat Brain: An EPR Study

α-phenyl-tert-butyl-nitrone (PBN) a spin adduct forming agent is believed to have a protective action in ischemia-reperfusion injury of brain by forming adducts of oxygen free radicals including ±OH radical. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) has been used to both detect and monitor the time course of oxygen free radical formation in the in vivo rat cerebral cortex. Cortical cups were placed over both cerebral hemispheres of methoxyflurane anesthetized rats prepared for four vessel occlusion-evoked cerebral ischemia. Prior to the onset of sample collection, both cups were perfused with artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF) containing the spin trap agent α-(4-pyridyl-1-oxide)-N-tert butylnitrone (POBN 100 mM) for 20 min. In addition 50 mg/kg BW of POBN was administered intraperitoneally (IP) 20 min prior to ischemia in order to improve our ability to detect free radical adducts. Cup fluid was subsequently replaced every 15 min during ischemia and every 10 min during reperfusion with fresh POBN containing CSF and the collected cortical superfusates were analyzed for radical adducts by EPR spectroscopy. After a basal 10 min collection, cerebral ischemia was induced for 15 or 30 min (confirmed by EEG flattening) followed by a 90 min reperfusion. -OH radical adducts (characterized by six line EPR spectra) were detected during ischemia and 90 min reperfusion. No adduct was detected in the basal sample or after 90 min of reperfusion. Similar results were obtained when diethylenetriaminepenta-acetic acid (100 μM; DETAPAC) a chelating agent was included in the artificial CSF. Systemic administration of PBN (100 mg/kg BW) produced a significant attenuation of radical adduct during reperfusion. A combination of systemic and topical PBN (100 mM) was required to suppress -OH radical adduct formation during ischemia as well as reperfusion. PBN free radical adducts were detected in EPR spectra of the lipid extracts of PBN treated rat brains subjected to ischemia/reperfusion. Thus this study suggests that PBN's protective action in cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury is related to its ability to prevent a cascade of free radical generation by forming spin adducts.     

Renal ischemia induces an increase in nitric oxide levels from tissue stores

Tissue nitric oxide (NO) levels increase dramatically during ischemia, an effect that has been shown to be partially independent from NO synthases. Because NO is stored in tissues as S-nitrosothiols and because these compounds could release NO during ischemia, we evaluated the effects of buthionine sulfoximine (BSO; an intracellular glutathione depletor), light stimulation (which releases NO, decomposing S-nitrosothiols), and N-acetyl-L-cysteine (a sulfhydryl group donor that repletes S-nitrosothiols stores) on the changes in outer medullary NO concentration produced during 45 min of renal artery occlusion in anesthetized rats. Renal ischemia increased renal tissue NO concentration (+223%), and this effect was maintained along 45 min of renal arterial blockade. After reperfusion, NO concentration fell below preischemic values and remained stable for the remainder of the experiment. Pretreatment with 10 mg/kg nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) decreased significantly basal NO concentration before ischemia, but it did not modify the rise in NO levels observed during ischemia. In rats pretreated with 4 mmol/kg BSO and L-NAME, ischemia was followed by a transient increase in renal NO concentration that fell to preischemic values 20 min before reperfusion. A similar response was observed when the kidney was illuminated 40 min before the ischemia. The coadministration of 10 mg/kg iv N-acetyl-L-cysteine with BSO + L-NAME restored the increase in NO levels observed during renal ischemia and prevented the depletion of renal thiol groups. These results demonstrate that the increase in renal NO concentration observed during ischemia originates from thiol-dependent tissue stores.     

Oxypurinol-Enhanced Postischemic Recovery of the Rat Brain Involves Preservation of Adenine Nucleotides

Abstract: The present study investigated the effect of the administration of oxypurinol (40 mg/kg), an inhibitor of xanthine oxidase, on adenosine and adenine nucleotide levels in the rat brain during ischemia and reperfusion. The brains of the animals were microwaved before, at the end of a 20-min period of cerebral ischemia, and after 5, 10, 45, and 90 min of reperfusion. Cerebral ischemia was elicited by four-vessel occlusion with arterial hypotension to 45–50 mm Hg. Adenosine and adenine nucleotide levels in the oxypurinol-pretreated (administered intravenously 20 min before ischemia) rats were compared with those in nontreated animals exposed to the same periods of ischemia and reperfusion. Oxypurinol administration resulted in significantly elevated ATP levels at the end of ischemia and 5 min after ischemia, but not at 10 min after ischemia. ADP levels were also elevated, in comparison with those in the control rats, at the end of the ischemic period. Conversely, AMP levels were significantly reduced at the end of ischemia and during the initial (5 min) period of reperfusion. Adenosine levels were lower in oxypurinol-treated rats, during ischemia, and in the initial reperfusion phase. Oxypurinol administration resulted in a significant increase in the energy charge both during ischemia and after 5 min of reperfusion. Physiological indices, namely, time to recovery of mean arterial blood pressure and time to onset of respiration, were also shortened in the oxypurinol-treated animals. These beneficial effects of oxypurinol may have been a result of its purine-sparing (salvage) effects and of its ability to inhibit free radical formation by the enzyme xanthine oxidase. Preservation of high-energy phosphates during ischemia likely contributes to the cerebroprotective potency of oxypurinol.     

Hyperglycemic Damage to Mitochondrial Membranes During Cerebral Ischemia: Amelioration by Platelet-Activating Factor Antagonist BN 50739

Abstract: The Pulsinelli-Brierley four-vessel occlusion model was used to study the consequences of hyperglycemic ischemia and reperfusion. Rats were subjected to either 30 min of normo- or hyperglycemic ischemia or 30 min of normo- or hyperglycemic ischemia followed by 60 min of reperfusion. In some animals, 2 mg/kg BN 50739, a platelet-activating factor receptor antagonist, was administered intraarterially either before or after the ischemic insult. The changes in mitochondrial membrane free fatty acid levels, phosphatidylcholine fatty acyl composition, and thiobarbituric acid-reactive material (TBAR) content plus the mitochondrial respiratory control ratio (RCR) were monitored. When the platelet-activating factor antagonist was present during normoglycemia, (a) the mitochondrial free fatty acid release both during and after ischemia was slowed, (b) reacylation of phosphatidylcholine following ischemia was promoted, and (c) TBAR accumulation during and following ischemia was decreased. The detrimental effects of hyperglycemia were muted when BN 50739 was present during ischemia. The RCR was preserved and phosphatidylcholine hydrolysis during ischemia was decreased. TBAR levels were consistently higher in hyperglycemic brain mitochondria both during and after ischemia. The RCR correlated directly with mitochondrial phosphatidylcholine polyunsaturated fatty acid content during ischemia and reperfusion. BN 50739 protection of mitochondrial membranes in brain may be influenced by tissue pH.     

The relationship between erythropoietin pretreatment with blood-brain barrier and lipid peroxidation after ischemia/reperfusion in rats

Blood-brain barrier (BBB) leakage plays a role in the pathogenesis of many pathological states of the brain including ischemia and some neurodegenerative disorders. In recent years, erythropoietin (EPO) has been shown to exert neuroprotection in many pathological conditions including ischemia in the brain. This study aimed to investigate the effects of EPO on BBB integrity, infarct size and lipid peroxidation following global brain ischemia/reperfusion in rats. Wistar male rats were divided into four groups (each group n=8); Group I; control group (sham-operated), Group II; ischemia/reperfusion group, Group III; EPO treated group (24 h before decapitation--000 U/kg r-Hu EPO i.p.), Group IV; EPO+ ischemia/reperfusion group (24 h before ischemia/reperfusion--3000 U/kg r-Hu EPO i.p.). Global brain ischemia was produced by the combination of bilateral common carotid arteries occlusion and hemorrhagic hypotension. Macroscopical and spectrophotometrical measurement of Evans Blue (EB) leakage was observed for BBB integrity. Infarct size was calculated based on 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining. Lipid peroxidation in the brain tissue was determined as the concentration of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) for each group. Ischemic insult caused bilateral and regional BBB breakdown (hippocampus, cortex, corpus striatum, midbrain, brain stem and thalamus). EPO pretreatment reduced BBB disruption, infarct size and lipid peroxide levels in brain tissue with 20 min ischemia and 20 min reperfusion. These results suggest that EPO plays an important role in protecting against brain ischemia/reperfusion through inhibiting lipid peroxidation and decreasing BBB disruption.     

Chronic administration of ethyl docosahexaenoate reduces gerbil brain eicosanoid productions following ischemia and reperfusion

Arachidonic acid (AA) and its vasoactive metabolites have been implicated in the pathogenesis of brain damage induced by cerebral ischemia. The membrane AA concentrations can be reduced by changes in dietary fatty acid intake. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of chronic ethyl docosahexaenoate (E-DHA) administration on the generation of eicosanoids of AA metabolism during the period of reperfusion after ischemia in gerbils. Weanling male gerbils were orally pretreated with either E-DHA (100, 200 mg/kg) or vehicle, once a day, for 10 weeks, and subjected to transient forebrain ischemia by bilateral common carotid occlusion for 10 min. E-DHA (200 mg/kg) pretreatment significantly decreased the content of brain lipid AA at the termination of treatment, prevented postischemic impaired regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and reduced the levels of brain prostaglandin (PG) PGF(2alpha) and 6-keto-PGF(1alpha), and thromboxane B(2) (TXB(2)), as well as leukotriene (LT) LTB(4) and LTC(4) at 30 and 60 min of reperfusion compared with the vehicle, which was well associated with the attenuated cerebral edema in the E-DHA-treated brain after 48 h of reperfusion. These data suggest that the E-DHA (200 mg/kg) pretreatment reduces the postischemic eicosanoid productions, which may be due to its reduction of the brain lipid AA content.     

Role of mucus in ischemia/reperfusion-induced gastric mucosal injury in rats

Gastric mucus plays an important role in gastric mucosal protection. Apart from its "barrier" function, it has been demonstrated that mucus protects gastric epithelial cells against toxic oxygen metabolites derived from the xanthine/ xanthine oxidase system. In this study, we investigated the effect of malotilate and sucralfate (mucus production stimulators) and N-acetylcysteine (mucolytic agent) on ischemia/reperfusion-induced gastric mucosal injury. Gastric ischemia was induced by 30 min clamping of the coeliac artery followed by 30 min of reperfusion. The mucus content was determined by the Alcian blue method. Sucralfate (100 mg/kg), malotilate (100 mg/kg), and N-acetylcysteine (100 mg/kg) were given orally 30 min before surgery. Both sucralfate and malotilate increased the mucus production in control rats. On the other hand, N-acetyloysteine significantly decreased mucus content in control (sham) group. A significant decrease of mucus content was found in the control and the N-acetylcysteine pretreated group during the period of ischemia. On the other hand, sucralfate and malotilate prevented the decrease the content of mucus during ischemia. A similar result can be seen after ischemia/reperfusion. In the control group and N-acetylcysteine pretreated group a significant decrease of adherent mucus content was found. However, sucralfate and malotilate increased mucus production (sucralfate significantly). Sucralfate and malotilate also significantly protected the gastric mucosa against ischemia/reperfusion-induced injury. However, N-acetylcysteine significantly increased gastric mucosal injury after ischemia/reperfusion. These results suggest that gastric mucus may be involved in the protection of gastric mucosa after ischemia/reperfusion.     

Drug effects on myocardial ischemia- and reperfusion-induced arrhythmias in anesthetized rats

The effects of drugs on ischemia and reperfusion-induced arrhythmias were studied in vivo in anesthetized rats. The chest was opened under artificial respiration and the heart was exposed. The left anterior descending coronary artery was occluded, followed by reperfusion for 10 min each. The drugs (mannitol 10-50 mg/kg, aspirin 0.25-5 mg/kg, verapamil 5-50 micrograms/kg and propranolol 1 mg/kg iv) were tested in the vagotomized animals. The test agent was dissolved in saline and 0.5 ml infused 15 min before the coronary occlusion. The results indicated that mannitol and aspirin reduced the incidence and duration of arrhythmias (ventricular premature contraction, ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation) during ischemia and reperfusion, while verapamil and propranolol reduced the incidence of arrhythmias during ischemia.     

黑木耳多糖对急性脑缺血/再灌注损伤影响的研究

目的:观察黑木耳多糖(APP)对急性脑缺血大鼠的保护作用并探讨其相关机制。方法:成年雄性SD大鼠给予不同浓度的AAP灌胃20d,每天1次,腹腔注射银杏叶提取物(ginkgo biloba extract,EGb671)作为阳性对照,20d后实施右侧大脑中动脉栓塞(MCAO)建立局灶性脑缺血模型。MCAO60min后复灌,复灌24h后进行Longa神经功能损伤评分,并用2,3,5-氯化三苯基四氮唑(TTC)染色法测定脑梗死面积。复灌48h后用TUNEL免疫组化检测神经元凋亡,测定脑组织线粒体内活性氧簇(ROS)的生成量判断氧化应激水平。结果:黑木耳多糖能降低神经功能损伤评分,减小脑梗死面积,减少神经元凋亡,并且能够使缺血复灌脑组织线粒体ROS生成显著减少。高剂量AAP组的凋亡神经元数量、ROS生成量和阳性对照组相比有显著性差异。结论:黑木耳多糖能够对抗大鼠的局灶性脑缺血损伤,其保护作用和减轻氧化应激水平有关,并优于银杏叶提取物。     

Noninvasive remote ischemic preconditioning for global protection of skeletal muscle against infarction

The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and mechanism of action of a noninvasive remote ischemic preconditioning (IPC) technique for the protection of multiple distant skeletal muscles against ischemic necrosis (infarction). It was observed in the pig that three cycles of 10-min occlusion and reperfusion in a hindlimb by tourniquet application reduced the infarction of latissimus dorsi (LD), gracilis (GC), and rectus abdominis (RA) muscle flaps by 55%, 60%, and 55%, respectively, compared with their corresponding control (n = 6, P < 0.01) when they were subsequently subjected to 4 h of ischemia and 48 h of reperfusion. This infarct-protective effect of remote IPC in LD muscle flaps was abolished by an intravenous bolus injection of the nonselective opioid receptor antagonist naloxone (3 mg/kg) 10 min before remote IPC and a continuous intravenous infusion (3 mg/kg) during remote IPC and by an intravenous bolus injection of the selective delta 1-opioid receptor antagonist 7-benzylidenealtrexone maleate (3 mg/kg). However, this infarct-protective effect of remote IPC was not affected by an intravenous bolus injection of the ganglionic blocker hexamethonium chloride (20 mg/kg) or the nonspecific adenosine receptor antagonist 8-(p-sulfophenyl)theophylline (10 mg/kg) or by a local intra-arterial injection of the adenosine1 receptor antagonist 8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine (3 mg/muscle flap) given 10 min before remote IPC. It was also observed that this remote IPC of skeletal muscle against infarction was associated with a slower rate of muscle ATP depletion during the 4 h of sustained ischemia and a reduced muscle neutrophilic myeloperoxidase activity after 1.5 h of reperfusion. These observations led us to speculate that noninvasive remote IPC by brief cycles of occlusion and reperfusion in a pig hindlimb is effective in global protection of skeletal muscle against infarction. This infarct-protective effect is most likely triggered by the activation of opioid receptors in the skeletal muscle, and remote IPC is associated with an energy-sparing effect during sustained ischemia and attenuation of neutrophil accumulation during reperfusion.     

Effect of Antioxidant Treatment in Global Ischemia and Ischemic Postconditioning in the Rat Hippocampus

Ischemic postconditioning is a very effective way how to prevent delayed neuronal death. Effect of Ginkgo biloba extract (EGb 761; 40 mg/kg) posttreatment was studied on the rat model of transient forebrain ischemia and ischemia/postconditioning. Global ischemia was produced by four-vessel occlusion in Wistar male rats. Two experimental protocols were used: (a) 10 min of ischemia/7 days of reperfusion with or without EGb 761 treatment or (b) 10 min of ischemia/2 days of reperfusion/5 min of ischemia (postconditioning), following 5 days of reperfusion. EGb 761 was applied as follows: 30 min before 10 min of ischemia then 5 h, 1 and 2 days after 10 min of ischemia. Fluoro Jade B, marker for neuronal degeneration, was used for quantitative analysis of the most vulnerable hippocampal CA1 neurons. Cognitive and memory functions were tested by Morris water maze, as well. Administration of EGb 761 30 min before 10 min of ischemia or 5 h after ischemia has rather no protective effect on neuronal survival in CA1 region. Ten minutes of ischemia following ischemic postconditioning after 2 days of reperfusion trigger a significant neuroprotection of CA1 neurons, but it is abolished by EGb 761 posttreatment. Ischemia/postconditioning group showed a significant improvement of learning and memory on the seventh day of reperfusion. Protection of the most vulnerable CA1 neurons after ischemia/postconditioning is abolished by exogenous antioxidant treatment used in different time intervals after initial ischemia. Moreover, combination of EGb 761 administration with repeated stress (5 min ischemia used as postconditioning) causes cumulative injury of CA1 neurons.     

Neuroprotective effect of Azadirachta indica on cerebral post-ischemic reperfusion and hypoperfusion in rats

We assessed the effect of Azadirachta indica (A. indica), a plant that has been reported to possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anxiolytic properties, on cerebral reperfusion injury and long term cerebral hypoperfusion. When blood flow to brain region that has undergone critical period of ischemia is re-established, additional injury is to be expected from the reperfusion. In the present study, bilateral common carotid artery (BCCA) occlusion for 30 min followed by 45 min reperfusion resulted in increase in lipid peroxidation, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and fall in total tissue sulfhydryl (T-SH) groups. A. indica pretreatment (500 mg/kg/day x 7 days) attenuated the reperfusion induced enhanced lipid peroxidation, SOD activity and prevented fall in T-SH groups. Moreover, A.indica per se increased brain ascorbic acid level, which was unchanged during reperfusion insult. Long-term cerebral hypoperfusion induced by permanent BCCA occlusion has been reported to cause behavioral and histopathological abnormalities. In the present study, as tested by open field paradigm and Morris' water maze, a propensity towards anxiety and disturbances of learning/memory were observed in animals subjected to hypoperfusion for 2 weeks. A. indica (500 mg/kg/day x 15 days) significantly reduced these hypoperfusion induced functional disturbances. Reactive changes in brain histology like gliosis, perivascular lymphocytic infiltration, recruitment of macrophages and cellular edema following long term hypoperfusion were also attenuated effectively by A. indica. We conclude that our study provides an experimental evidence for possible neuroprotective potentiality of A. indica.     

Preconditioning with a Novel Metallopharmaceutical NO Donor in Anesthetized Rats Subjected to Brain Ischemia/Reperfusion

Rut-bpy is a novel nitrosyl–ruthenium complex releasing NO into the vascular system. We evaluated the effect of Rut-bpy (100 mg/kg) on a rat model of brain stroke. Forty rats were assigned to four groups (Saline solution [SS], Rut-bpy, SS+ischemia–reperfusion [SS+I/R] and Rut-bpy+ischemia–reperfusion [Rut-bpy+I/R]) with their mean arterial pressure (MAP) continuously monitored. The groups were submitted (SS+I/R and Rut-bpy+I/R) or not (SS and Rut-bpy) to incomplete global brain ischemia by occlusion of the common bilateral carotid arteries during 30 min followed by reperfusion for further 60 min. Thirty minutes before ischemia, rats were treated pairwise by intraperitoneal injection of saline solution or Rut-bpy. At the end of experiments, brain was removed for triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining in order to quantify the total ischemic area. In a subset of rats, hippocampus was obtained for histopathology scoring, nitrate and nitrite measurements, immunostaining and western blotting of the nuclear factor- κB (NF-κB). Rut-bpy pre-treatment decreased MAP variations during the transition from brain ischemia to reperfusion and decreased the fractional injury area. Rut-bpy pre-treatment reduced NF-κB hippocampal immunostaining and protein expression with improved histopathology scoring as compared to the untreated operated control. In conclusion, Rut-bpy improved the total brain infarction area and hippocampal neuronal viability in part by inhibiting NF-κB signaling and helped to stabilize the blood pressure during the transition from ischemia to reperfusion.     

Tetramethylpyrazine induces heme oxygenase-1 expression and attenuates myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats

The accumulation of oxygen free radicals and activation of neutrophils are strongly implicated as pathophysiological mechanisms mediating myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) has been reported to play a protective role in oxidative tissue injuries. In this study, the cardioprotective activity of tetramethylpyrazine (TMP), an active ingredient of Chinese medicinal herb Ligusticum wallichii Franchat, was evaluated in an open-chest anesthetized rat model of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury. Pretreatment with TMP (5 and 10 mg/kg, i.v.) before left coronary artery occlusion significantly suppressed the occurrence of ventricular fibrillation. After 45 min of ischemia and 1 h of reperfusion, TMP (5 and 10 mg/kg) caused a significant reduction in infarct size and induced HO-1 expression in ischemic myocardium. The HO inhibitor ZnPP (50 μg/rat) markedly reversed the anti-infarct action of TMP. Superoxide anion production in ischemic myocardium after 10 min reperfusion was inhibited by TMP. Furthermore, TMP (200 and 500 μM) significantly suppressed fMLP (800 nM)-activated human neutrophil migration and respiratory burst. In conclusion, TMP suppresses ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias and reduces the infarct size resulting from ischemia/reperfusion injury in vivo. This cardioprotective activity of TMP may be associated with its antioxidant activity via induction of HO-1 and with its capacity for neutrophil inhibition.     

Involvement of free radicals in cerebral vascular reperfusion injury evaluated in a transient focal cerebral ischemia model of rat

Free radicals have been suggested to be largely involved in the genesis of ischemic brain damage, as shown in the protective effects of alpha-phenyl-N-tert-butyl nitrone (PBN), a spin trapping agent, against ischemic cerebral injury. In the present study, the effects of PBN as well as MCI-186, a newly-developed free radical scavenger, and oxypurinol, an inhibitor of xanthine oxidase, were evaluated in a rat transient middle cerebral aretery (MCA) occlusion model to clarify the possible role of free radicals in the reperfusion injury of brain. The volume of cerebral infarction, induced by 2-h occlusion and subsequent 2-h reperfusion of MCA in Fisher-344 rats, was evaluated. The administration of PBN (100 mg/kg) and MCI-186 (100 mg/kg) just before reperfusion of MCA significantly reduced the infarction volume. In contrast, oxypurinol (100 mg/kg) failed to show any preventive effect on the infarction. These results suggest that free radical formation is involved in the cerebral damage induced by ischemia-reperfusion of MCA, and that hydroxyl radical is responsible for the reperfusion injury after transient focal brain ischemia. It is also suggested that xanthine oxidase is not a major source of free radicals.     

The Akt/GSK-3β pathway mediates flurbiprofen-induced neuroprotection against focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats

Apoptosis is one of the major mechanisms of cell death during cerebral ischemia and reperfusion injury. Flurbiprofen has been shown to reduce cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury in both focal and global cerebral ischemia models, but the mechanism remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the potential association between the neuroprotective effect of flurbiprofen and the apoptosis inhibiting signaling pathways, in particularly the Akt/GSK-3β pathway. A focal cerebral ischemia rat model was subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) for 120 min and then treated with flurbiprofen at the onset of reperfusion. The infarct volume and the neurological deficit scores were evaluated at 24 h after reperfusion. Cell apoptosis, apoptosis-related proteins and the levels of p-Akt and p-GSK-3β in ischemic penumbra were measured using TUNEL and western blot. The results showed that administration of flurbiprofen at the doses of 5 and 10 mg/kg significantly attenuated brain ischemia/reperfusion injury, as shown by a reduction in the infarct volume, neurological deficit scores and cell apoptosis. Moreover, flurbiprofen not only inhibited the expression of Bax protein and p-GSK-3β, but also increased the expression of Bcl-2 protein, the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax as well as the P-Akt level. Taken together, these results suggest that flurbiprofen protects the brain from ischemia/reperfusion injury by reducing apoptosis and this neuroprotective effect may be partly due to the activation of Akt/GSK-3β signaling pathway.