Effects of magnesium sulfate on neuron apoptosis and expression of caspase-3, bax and bcl-2 after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effects of magnesium sulfate on neuron apoptosis and the expressions of caspase-3, bax and bcl-2 after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty-six gerbils were randomly divided into three groups Sham-operation group (So, n = 12), ischemia-reperfusion group (I-R, n = 12) and magnesium sulfate group (Ms, n = 12). The neuron apoptosis was detected by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP-fluorescence nick end labeling (TUNEL stain), and the protein expressions of caspase-3, bax and bcl-2 were detected by immunohistochemisty stain.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Apoptotic neurons and the expressions of caspase-3 and bax were significantly increased in I-R and Ms groups, compared with those in So group. Apoptotic neurons and the expressions of bax and caspase-3 in Ms group were significantly less than those in I-R group. There was no significant difference in the expression of bcl-2 among three groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Magnesium sulfate decreases neuron apoptosis after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury, which may be related with the suppressed expressions of caspase-3 and bax.</p>