Mechanical Reperfusion Following Prolonged Global Cerebral Ischemia Attenuates Brain Injury

Icariin protects cerebral neural cells from ischemia‑reperfusion injury in an in vitro model by lowering ROS production and intracellular calcium concentration

Ischemia is one of the major causes of stroke. The present study investigated the protection of cultured neural cells by icariin (ICA) against ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury and possible mechanisms underlying the protection. Neural cells were isolated from neonatal rats and cultured in vitro. The cells were subjected to oxygen-glucose deprivation and reoxygenation (OGD-R) as an I/R mimic to generate I/R injury, and were post-OGD-R treated with ICA. Following the treatments, cell viability, apoptosis, reactive oxygen species (ROS), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and Ca²⁺ concentration were assessed using Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, flow cytometry, CyQUANT™ LDH Cytotoxicity Assay, H₂DCFDA and SOD colorimetric activity kit. After OGD-R, considerable I/R injury was observed in the neural cells, as indicated by reduced cell viability, increased apoptosis and increased production of ROS and LDH (P<0.05). Cellular Ca²⁺ concentration was also increased, while SOD activity remained unchanged. Post-OGD-R ICA treatments increased cell viability up to 87.1% (P<0.05) and reduced apoptosis as low as 6.6% (P<0.05) in a concentration-dependent manner. The treatments also resulted in fewer ROS (P<0.05), lower extracellular LDH content (440.5 vs. 230.3 U/l; P<0.05) and reduced Ca²⁺ increase (P<0.05). These data suggest that ICA protects the neural cells from I/R injury in an in vitro model through antioxidation activity and maintaining cellular Ca²⁺ homeostasis. This function may be explored as a potential therapeutic strategy for ischemia-related diseases after further in vivo studies.

PPARγ Mediates the Cardioprotective Roles of Danlou Tablet After Acute Myocardial Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury

Ischemic heart disease is one of the biggest threats to human life in the world. Reperfusion therapy is an effective strategy to reduce infarct size and ischemic injury. However, reperfusion process may cause secondary myocardial injury which is defined as ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). Exploring potential therapeutic strategy to attenuate IRI is extremely important. Danlou tablet (Dan), a Chinese herbal compound consisting of ten herbs, has been identified to be protective for the heart. However, the mechanism of Dan-induced cardioprotection after acute reperfusion was unelucidated. In this study, to investigate the role and mechanism of Dan in myocardial IRI, we performed acute IRI modeling in mice and oxygen-glucose deprivation–reperfusion (OGD/R)-induced apoptosis in primary neonatal rat cardiomyocytes (NRCMs). We found that Dan had protective effect against acute IRI in mice, as evidenced by reduced infarct size, TUNEL-positive cardiomyocytes (CMs), and Bax/Bcl2 ratio and cleaved-caspase 3/caspase 3 ratio in vivo. Meanwhile, Dan inhibited OGD/R-induced apoptosis of NRCMs in vitro. Mechanistically, Dan could activate proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) in both IRI hearts and OGD/R-stressed NRCMs, while inhibition of PPARγ attenuated the protective effect of Dan against IRI in vivo and OGD/R-induced CM apoptosis in vitro. These data reveal that Dan attenuates acute myocardial IRI and CM apoptosis through activating PPARγ. Our findings may extend the knowledge of Chinese medicine and provide potential strategy for the precise treatment of ischemic heart diseases.

Chronic treatment with coenzyme Q10 mitigates the behavioral dysfunction of global cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats

Objectives

The Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) phenomenon has a critical role in brain injuries induced by some kinds of stroke. The current study investigates the effects of Coenzyme Q10 (Q10) on global cerebral I/R in rats.

Materials and Methods

Fifty male Wistar rats were used in this study. The global cerebral I/R was induced by obstructing both common carotid arteries for 20 min and the animals were treated with Q10 (200 mg/kg; PO.) for 6 weeks. Depressive and anxiety-like behaviors were assessed using the elevated plus-maze and forced swimming test, respectively. Working and spatial learning and memory were assessed by the Y-maze continuous alternation task and Morris water maze. The brain tissues were evaluated for brain edema, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities.

Results

Our results indicated that global cerebral I/R increased anxiety and depression-like behavior as well as reduced cognitive performance. Moreover, the levels of BDNF and activities of SOD are reduced in stroke animals. Chronic post-stroke treatment with Q10 decreased brain edema. Furthermore, Q10 administration reduced anxiety and depressive-like behavior as well as cognitive impairments in stroke animals. Q10 also increased the SOD activities and BDNF levels in the brain tissues of stroke animals.

Conclusion

Finally, we can conclude that using Q10 supplementation may be beneficial against the global cerebral I/R complications.