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Objective: Stroke is a highly prevalent and devastating condition affecting millions worldwide. The Devil's Claw (DCW) plant is a native African plant whose anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective properties have been investigated. We postulated that DCW could protect the brain injury caused by cerebral ischemia. Materials and Methods: The rats were randomly divided into four groups. The sham and control (Ctrl) groups received pretreatment with a distilled water vehicle. Doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg were selected for pretreatment with DCW. The filament or intravascular occlusion method was used for middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). The Triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining method was used to investigate the infarct zone and penumbra volume. The neuroprotective effect of DCW was measured by hematoxylin staining. Movement performance was evaluated from neurological deficit score, rotarod performance, and open field tests. Results: TTC staining showed that the DCW/400 group could maintain the penumbra's structure and reduce the infarct volume compared to the Ctrl group (p<0.001). Histological studies confirmed the neuroprotective properties of DCW at doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg compared to the Ctrl group (p<0.01 and p<0.0001, respectively). The results of behavioral tests showed an improvement in behavioral performance in pretreatment 400 mg/kg doses compare to Ctrl group (p<0.0001). Conclusion: The study showed that pretreatment with DCW with its neuron protection potential reduces the infarct area and restores motor function after MCAO.
RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: Stroke is one of the most important causes of death and disability in modern and developing societies. In a stroke, both the glial cells and neurons develop apoptosis due to decreased cellular access to glucose and oxygen. Resveratrol (3, 5, 4'-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene) as a herbal compound shows neuroprotective and glioprotective effects. This article reviews how resveratrol can alleviate symptoms after stroke to help neurons to survive by modulating some signaling pathways in glia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Various databases such as ISI Web of Knowledge, Scopus, Medline, PubMed, and Google Scholar, were searched from 2000 to February 2020 to gather the required articles using appropriate keywords. RESULTS: Resveratrol enhances anti-inflammatory and decreases inflammatory cytokines by affecting the signaling pathways in microglia such as AMP-activated protein kinase (5' adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase, AMPK), SIRT1 (sirtuin 1) and SOCS1 (suppressor of cytokine signaling 1). Furthermore, through miR-155 overexpressing in microglia, resveratrol promotes M2 phenotype polarization. Resveratrol also increases AMPK and inhibits GSK-3ß (glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta) activity in astrocytes, which release energy, makes ATP available to neurons and reduces reactive oxygen species (ROS). Besides, resveratrol increases oligodendrocyte survival, which can lead to maintaining post-stroke brain homeostasis. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that resveratrol can be considered a novel therapeutic agent for the reduction of stroke symptoms that can not only affect neuronal function but also play an important role in reducing neurotoxicity by altering glial activity and signaling.
