Cornel Iridoid Glycoside Inhibits Inflammation and Apoptosis in Brains of Rats with Focal Cerebral Ischemia

• DOI: 10.1007/s11064-010-0134-2
• Publication Date: 2010-02-12T12:06:23Z
• Authors: Bai-liu Ya; Chun-yang Li; Lan Zhang; Wen Wang; Lin Li
• Keywords: Inflammation; Male; 0301 basic medicine; Plant Extracts; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; Interleukin-1beta; Apoptosis; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery; Cerebral Infarction; Brain Ischemia; Rats; 3. Good health; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; 03 medical and health sciences; Cornus; Reperfusion Injury; Animals; Iridoids; Glycosides; Neuroglia

The capacity of cornel iridoid glycoside (CIG) to suppress the manifestations of ischemic stroke was investigated. CIG was administered to rats by the intragastric route once daily for 7 days. Focal cerebral ischemia was induced by 2 h of middle cerebral artery occlusion followed by 24 h of reperfusion. In non-treated rats large infarct areas were observed within 24 h of reperfusion. Examination of the ischemic cerebral cortex revealed microglia and astrocyte activation, increased interleukin-1beta (IL-1 beta) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) concentrations, increased DNA fragmentation in the ischemia penumbra, elevated Bax expression, increased caspase-3 cleavage, and decreased Bcl-2 expression. Pretreatment with CIG decreased the infarct area, DNA fragmentation, IL-1beta and TNF-alpha concentrations, microglia and astrocyte activation, Bax expression, and caspase-3 cleavage while increasing Bcl-2 expression. CIG exerts anti-neuroinflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects which should prove beneficial for prevention or treatment of stroke.