Picroside Ⅱ plays a neuroprotective effect by inhibiting cyto C/caspase-9/caspase-3 signal pathway following ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats / 中国药理学通报

ABSTRACT

Aim To investigate the neuroprotective effect of picroside Ⅱ(PIC)on cyto C/caspase-9/caspase-3 signal pathway following ischemia/reperfusion(I/R)injury in rats.Methods Atractyloside(Atr)was selected as negative control,cyclosporin A(CsA)was selected as positive control,and PIC was selected as the treatment medicine.The I/R model was made by inserting a monofilament suture into internal carotid artery for 2 h,and then reperfused for 24 h.The cerebral infarction volume was detected by TTC staining,and the expression of cyto C,caspase-9 and caspase-3 were determined by immunohistochemical assay and Western blot.Results In model group,the cerebral infarct volume was obviously large;the expression of cyto C,caspase-9 and caspase-3 was increased significantly more than that in sham group(P<0.05).In PIC group,the cerebral infarct volume was significantly improved;the expression of cyto C,caspase-9 and caspase-3 was significantly decreased than that in model group(P<0.05).In Atr+PIC group,the rat infarction volume was reduced,and the expression of cyto C,caspase-9 and caspase-3 was significantly decreased than that in Atr group(P<0.05).Conclusion The mechanism of PIC inhibiting neuron apoptosis in focal cerebral I/R rats might be through down-regulating the expression of cyto C,caspase-9 and caspase-3.