Effect of Shenfu injection on brain apoptosis and expression of HO-1 during focal cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury in rats / 中华急诊医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the effects of Shenfu injection ( SF,a Chinese herbal medicine preparation made of Codonopsis pilosula and Aconitum carmichaeli) on the cell apoptosis of focal cerebral ischemic-reperfusion injured rats and the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). Methods Forty-two male Sprague-Dawley rats used for producing unilateral brain ischemia reperfusion model were randomly divided into three groupssham operation group ( Sham group),ischemia reperfusion group ( IR group),and SF Injection group (SF group).The model of focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury was induced by transient occlusion of middle cerebral artery (ischemia for 2 h,and reperfusion for 3,6 h respectively).In SF group,SF ( 10 mg/kg) was intraperitoneally injected duri(n)g reperfusion.Cell apoptosis rate in brain tissue was detected by the technique of Annexin-V-PI double staining and was counted in flow cytometer.Expression of HO-1 in brain was measured by RT-PCR,while the pathological and ultra structure changes of cerebral tissue were also observed.Results Cell apoptosis rate of brain tissue were significantly higher in IR group than that in Sham group (P ＜0.01 ),while SF group had less significant changes in cell apoptosis rate, HO-1 level of brain tissue than IR group (P ＜ O.01 ).The ultra structure change of brain tissue was less in SF group than that in IR group.Conclusions During early stage of brain IR injury,SF inhibits cellular apoptosis and in turn protects the brain from injury which is attributed to the increase in HO-1 expression induced by SF.