scholarly journals A Pilot Study for the Neuroprotective Effect of Gongjin-dan on Transient Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion-Induced Ischemic Rat Brain

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yun-Young Sunwoo ◽  
Sang In Park ◽  
Yong-An Chung ◽  
Jisoo Lee ◽  
Moon-Seo Park ◽  
...  

In this study, we investigated whether gongjin-dan improves functional recovery and has neuroprotective effects on reducing the infarct volume after transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo). Infarct volume was measured using TTC staining and glucose utilization by F-18 FDG PET. Functional improvement was evaluated with the Rota-rod, treadmill, Garcia score test, and adhesive removal test. At 14 days after MCAo, neuronal cell survival, astrocytes expansion, and apoptosis were assessed by immunohistofluorescence staining in the peri-infarct region. Also, the expression of neurotrophic factors and inflammatory cytokines such as VEGF, BDNF, Cox-2, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-1αwas measured in ischemic hemisphere regions. The gongjin-dan-treated group showed both reduced infarct volume and increased glucose utilization. Behavior tests demonstrated a significant improvement compared to the control. Also in the gongjin-dan treated group, NeuN-positive cells were increased and number of astrocytes, microglia, and apoptotic cells was significantly decreased compared with the control group in the ischemic peri-infarct area. Furthermore, the expression of VEGF and BDNF was increased and level of Cox-2, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-1αwas decreased. These results suggest that gongjin-dan may improve functional outcome through the rapid restoration of metabolism and can be considered as a potential neuroprotective agent.

2010 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 807-818 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niall J J MacDougall ◽  
Keith W Muir

Poststroke hyperglycaemia (PSH) is common, has an unclear pathophysiology, and is associated with poor outcomes. Animal studies report conflicting findings. We systematically reviewed the effects of hyperglycaemia on infarct volume in middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) models, generating weighted mean differences between groups using random effects models summarised as effect size (normalised to control group infarct volume as 100%) and 95% confidence interval. Of 72 relevant papers, 23 reported infarct volume. Studies involved 664 animals and 35 distinct comparisons. Hyperglycaemia was induced by either streptozotocin (STZ, 17 comparisons, n=303) or dextrose (18 comparisons, n=356). Hyperglycaemic animals had infarcts that were 94% larger, but STZ was associated with significantly greater increase in infarct volumes than dextrose infusion (140% larger versus 48% larger). In seven studies, insulin did not significantly reduce infarct size and results were heterogeneous. Although hyperglycaemia exacerbates infarct volume in MCAO models, studies are heterogeneous, and do not address the common clinical problem of PSH because they have used either the STZ model of type I diabetes or extremely high glucose loads. Insulin had a nonsignificant and significantly heterogeneous effect. Further studies with relevant models may inform clinical trial design.


2002 ◽  
Vol 283 (3) ◽  
pp. H1005-H1011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katsuyoshi Shimizu ◽  
Zsombor Lacza ◽  
Nishadi Rajapakse ◽  
Takashi Horiguchi ◽  
James Snipes ◽  
...  

We investigated effects of diazoxide, a selective opener of mitochondrial ATP-sensitive K+ (mitoKATP) channels, against brain damage after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in male Wistar rats. Diazoxide (0.4 or 2 mM in 30 μl saline) or saline (sham) was infused into the right lateral ventricle 15 min before MCAO. Neurological score was improved 24 h later in the animals treated with 2 mM diazoxide (13.8 ± 0.7, n = 13) compared with sham treatment (9.5 ± 0.2, n = 6, P < 0.01). The total percent infarct volume (MCAO vs. contralateral side) of sham treatment animals was 43.6 ± 3.6% ( n = 12). Treatment with 2 mM diazoxide reduced the infarct volume to 20.9 ± 4.8% ( n = 13, P < 0.05). Effects of diazoxide were prominent in the cerebral cortex. The protective effect of diazoxide was completely prevented by the pretreatment with 5-hydroxydecanoate (100 mM in 10 μl saline), a selective blocker of mitoKATP channels ( n = 6). These results indicate that selective opening of the mitoKATP channel has neuroprotective effects against ischemia-reperfusion injury in the rat brain.


Circulation ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 130 (suppl_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pranay Prabhakar ◽  
Hua Zhang ◽  
De Chen ◽  
Stephen Lockett ◽  
James E Faber

Introduction: The presence of a native (pre-existing) collateral circulation in tissues lessens injury in stroke and other occlusive diseases. However, differences in genetic background are accompanied by wide variation in the number and diameter (extent) of native collaterals in mice, resulting in large variation in protection. Indirect evidence suggests a similar wide variation also exists in humans. However, methods of measurement in humans are indirect, invasive and not widely available. Hypothesis: We sought to determine if differences in genetic background in mice result in variation in branch-patterning of the retinal circulation, and if these differences predict differences in collateral extent and, in turn, differences in severity of ischemic stroke. Methods: Patterning metrics were obtained for the retinal arterial trees of 10 mouse strains (n=8 per strain) that differ widely in collateral extent in brain and other tissues. We also obtained pial collateral number and diameter, and infarct volume 24h after permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion. Forward- and reverse-stepwise multivariate regression analysis was conducted and model performance assessed using K-fold cross-validation. Results: Twenty-one metrics varied significantly with genetic strain (p<0.01). Ten metrics (eg, vessel caliber, bifurcation angle, lacunarity, optimality, branch length) strongly predicted collateral number and diameter across 7 regression models. The best models closely predicted (p<0.0001) collateral number (K-fold R 2 =0.83-0.98), diameter (0.73-0.88) and infarct volume (0.85-0.87). Conclusions: Differences in retinal tree patterning are specified by genetic background and closely predict genetic variation in pial collateral extent and, in turn, stroke severity. If these findings can be confirmed in humans, and given that genetic variation in cerebral collaterals extends to other tissues at least in mice, a similar “retinal predictor index” could be developed as a biomarker for collateral extent in brain and other tissues. This could aid prediction of the risk-severity of tissue injury in occlusive disease as well as stratification of patients for treatment options and enrollment in clinical studies.


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 592-612
Author(s):  
Ye Feng ◽  
Qian Xu ◽  
Raymond Tak Fai Cheung

Cerebral ischemia induces oxidative injury and increases the intracellular calcium ion concentration to activate several calcium-dependent proteases such as calpains. Calpain activation leads to various necrotic and apoptotic processes. Calpeptin is a potent, cell-permeable calpain inhibitor. As a strong antioxidant and free radical scavenger, melatonin shows beneficial effect in rodent models of focal cerebral ischemia when given prior to ischemia or reperfusion. This study was focused on the neuroprotective effects of melatonin and/or calpeptin given after onset of reperfusion. For this purpose, right-sided middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) for 90 minutes followed by 24 or 72 hours of reperfusion was performed in male Sprague Dawley rats, then, melatonin 50 or 150 µg/kg, calpeptin 10, 15 or 50 µg/kg or a combination of melatonin 50 µg/kg plus calpeptin 15 or 50 µg/kg were injected via an intracerebroventricular route at 15 minutes after onset of reperfusion. Melatonin or calpeptin tended to reduce the relative infarct volume and significantly decreased the neurological deficit at 24 hours. The combination achieved a greater protection than each of them alone. Melatonin, calpeptin or the combination all decreased Fluoro-Jade B (FJB)+ degenerative neurons and cleaved/total caspase-3 ratio at 24 hours. These treatments did not significantly impact the density of surviving neurons and ED-1+ macrophage/activated microglia. At the 72-hour-reperfusion, melatonin or the combination decreased the relative infarct volume and neurological deficit. Nevertheless, only the combination reduced FJB+ degenerating neurons at 72 hours. In conclusion, a combination of melatonin and calpeptin exerted synergistic protection against post-reperfusion injury in a rat MCAO stroke model.


2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 628-635 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Zhang ◽  
Michael Chopp ◽  
Mei Lu ◽  
Talan Zhang ◽  
Chao Li ◽  
...  

Background and aims In an effort to characterize the effects of Cerebrolysin for treatment of stroke that are essential for successful clinical translation, we have demonstrated that Cerebrolysin dose dependently enhanced neurological functional recovery in experimental stroke. Here, we conduct a prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, blinded study to examine the therapeutic window of Cerebrolysin treatment of rats subjected to embolic stroke. Methods Male Wistar rats age 3–4 months (n = 100) were subjected to embolic middle cerebral artery occlusion. Animals were randomized to receive saline or Cerebrolysin daily for 10 consecutive days starting 4, 24, 48, and 72 h after middle cerebral artery occlusion. Neurological outcome was measured weekly with a battery of behavioral tests (adhesive removal test, modified neurological severity score (mNSS), and foot-fault test). Global test was employed to assess Cerebrolysin effect on neurological recovery with estimation of mean difference between Cerebrolysin and control-treated groups and its 95% confidence interval in the intent-to-treat population, where a negative value of the mean difference and 95% confidence interval < 0 indicated a significant treatment effect. All rats were sacrificed 28 days after middle cerebral artery occlusion and infarct volume was measured. Results Cerebrolysin treatment initiated within 48 h after middle cerebral artery occlusion onset significantly improved functional outcome; mean differences and 95% confidence interval were −11.6 (−17.7, −5.4) at 4 h, −7.1 (−13.5, −0.8) at 24 h, −8.4 (−14.2, −8.6) at 48 h, and −4.9 (−11.4, 1.5) at 72 h. There were no differences on infarct volume and mortality rate among groups. Conclusions With a clinically relevant rigorous experimental design, our data demonstrate that Cerebrolysin treatment effectively improves stroke recovery when administered up to 48 h after middle cerebral artery occlusion.


2016 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 1339-1346 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lichun Pei ◽  
Songyan Meng ◽  
Weigang Yu ◽  
Qiujun Wang ◽  
Fangfang Song ◽  
...  

Background: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) plays a critical role in protecting against distinct brain damages, including ischemia. Our previous data have shown that the protein level of PPARγ is increased in the cortex after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO); PPARγ up-regulation contributes to PPARγ activation and is effective in reducing ischemic damage to brain. However, the regulatory mechanism of PPARγ after focal cerebral ischemia in rats is still unclear. In this study, we evaluated the effect of microRNA on PPARγ in rats subjected to MCAO. Methods: Focal cerebral ischemia was established by surgical middle cerebral artery occlusion; the protein level of PPARγ was detected by Western blotting; the level of microRNA-383 (miR-383) was quantified by real-time PCR; the neurological outcomes were defined by infarct volume and neurological deficits. Luciferase assay was used to identify the luciferase activities of PPARγ and miR-383. Results: We showed here that miR-383 level was down-regulated in the ischemic hemisphere of rats 24h after MCAO. Overexpression of miR-383 by miR-383 agomir increased infarct volume and aggravated neurological damage. Administration of miR-383 antagomir had the opposite effects. Furthermore, we found that PPARγ protein was down-regulated by miR-383 overexpression, and up-regulated by miR-383 inhibition both in rat model of MCAO and in primary culture cells. Finally, we found that miR-383 suppressed the luciferase activity of the vector carrying the 3'UTR of PPARγ, whereas mutation of the binding sites relived the repressive effect of miR-383. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that miR-383 may play a key role in focal cerebral ischemia by regulating PPARγ expression at the post-transcriptional level, and miR-383 may be a potential therapeutic target for stroke.


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