An Organic Fraction of Oenothera rosea L'Her Ex. Aiton Prevents Neuroinflammation in a Rat Ischemic Model.

BACKGROUND: Oenothera rosea L'Her Ex. Aiton, presenting antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, is traditionally used to treat bruises and headaches and as a healing agent. This study aimed to investigate whether its organic fraction (EAOr) has neuroprotective properties against neuroinflammation in the context of ischemia/reperfusion. METHODS: The chemical composition of EAOr was determined using HPLC techniques, and its neuroprotective activities were evaluated in a common carotid-artery ligation model for the induction of ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). The animals were supplemented with EAOR for 15 days. On the last day, the animals were rested for one hour, following which the common carotid-artery ligation procedure was performed to induce I/R. The neurological deficit was evaluated at 24 h after I/R using Bederson's scale, and the relative expression of inflammatory genes and structure of hippocampal neurons were analyzed at 48 h. RESULTS: The chemical analysis revealed five major compounds in EAOr: gallic acid, rutin, ellagic acid, and glucoside and rhamnoside quercetin. EAOr prevented neurological deficit 24 h after I/R; led to the early activation of the AIF and GFAP genes; reduced Nfkb1, IL-1beta, Il-6 and Casp3 gene expression; and protected hippocampal neurons. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate that EAOr contains polyphenol-type compounds, which could exert a therapeutic effect through the inhibition of neuroinflammation and neuronal death genes, thus maintaining hippocampal neurons.

Treadmill training improves neurological deficits and suppresses neuronal apoptosis in cerebral ischemic stroke rats.

Rehabilitation training is believed to be beneficial to patients with stroke, but its molecular mechanism is still unclear. Rat models of cerebral ischemic stroke were established by middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion, and then received treadmill training of different intensities, twice a day for 30 minutes for 1 week. Low-intensity training was conducted at 5 m/min, with a 10-minute running, 10-minute rest, and 10-minute running cycle. In the moderate-intensity training, the intensity gradually increased from 5 m/min to 10 m/min in 5 minutes, with the same rest cycle as above. In high-intensity training, the intensity gradually increased from 5 m/min to 25 m/min in 5 minutes, with the same rest cycle as above. The Bederson scale was used to evaluate the improvement of motor function. Infarct volume was detected using 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling staining was applied to detect the apoptosis of nerve cells in brain tissue. Western blot assay was employed to analyze the activation of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)/protein kinase A and Akt/glycogen synthase kinase-3ß signaling pathways in rat brain tissue. All training intensities reduced the neurological deficit score, infarct volume, and apoptosis in nerve cells in brain tissue of stroke rats. Training intensities activated the cAMP/protein kinase A and Akt/glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta signaling pathways. This activation was more obvious with higher training intensities. These changes were reversed by intracerebroventricular injection of protein kinase A inhibitor Rp-cAMP. Our findings indicate that the neuroprotective effect of rehabilitation training is achieved via activation of the cAMP/protein kinase A and Akt/glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta signaling pathways. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Animal Experimentation in Shanghai No. 8 People's Hospital, China.

Homer1a protein expression and its relationship with neuronal deficit and neuronal apoptosis in craniocerebral trauma patients / 中华神经医学杂志

Objective To study the Homer1a protein expression and its relationship with neurological deficit and neuronal apoptosis in craniocerebral trauma patients. Methods Forty-two craniocerebral trauma patients, admitted to our hospital from May 2012 to March 2016, were selected as craniocerebral trauma group; 50 healthy subjects accepted physical examination at the same period in our hospital were selected as normal control group (n=50). Immediately after admission, serum contents of Homer1a protein and nerve function damage indices (neurospecific estrogenase [NSE]), fatty acid binding protein [FABP], insulin-like growth factor [IGF-1], and S100B protein) were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Serum apoptotic indices (soluble apoptotic factor [(sFas)], sFas ligand [sFasL], and cell lymphoma-2 [Bcl-2]) were detected by radioimmunoassay. Results Immediately after admission, serum content of Homer1a protein content in craniocerebral trauma group ([113.27±12.19] pg/mL) was significantly higher than that in normal control group ([53.93±4.06] pg/mL, P<0.05); the median serum Homer1a protein level was 115.302 pg/mL, and according to this level, the patients from the craniocerebral trauma group were further divided into high Homer1a group and low Homer1a group. Serum NSE, FABP, S100B, sFas and sFasL levels in the high Homer1a group, low Homer1a group and normal control group were decreased in sequence, and IGF-1 and Bcl-2 levels increased in sequence, with significant differences (P<0.05). Conclusion Expression of Homer1a protein is increased in patients with traumatic brain injury, and its content is directly related to nerve injury and neuron apoptosis.