Neuroprotective effects of puerarin derivative on focal cerebral ischemia and reperfusion and its effect on expression of caspase-3 in rats

ZHANG Hong-wei; ZHANG Fan; DONG Zhi; ZHU Yi

Abstract：Objective: To observe the protection effect of puerarin derivative (G20) on focal cerebral ischemia and reperfusion injury in rats, and explore whether its mechanism is associated with the expression of caspase-3.Methods: Model of focal cerebral ischemia and reperfusion was induced using an intraluminal monofilament blockade by Longa. The rats were randomly divided into six groups, which were the sham-operation group, the model group, G group (puerarin 25.0 mg·kg-1), G20 groups (12.5, 25.0, 50.0 mg·kg-1). The rats in drug groups were administrated drugs in 1.5 h and 6 h after ischemia by tail vein. The neurological deficits were evaluated with neuroethology, the infarction size and brain edema after ischemia, respectively. The pathology of cerebral tissue was evaluated after ischemia by HE dyeing for observing the protective effect of G20. Neuronal apoptosis by TUNEL and the expression of caspase-3 by SABC were used for researching the mechanism.Results: G20 obviously improved movement of neuromuscular and vestibular function in 4 h and 24 h after ischemia, and obviously reduced the infarction size and brain edema, improved pathological morphology of rat brain after cerebral ischemia and reperfusion. Compared with G group, no adverse reaction such as red urine was found in G20 group. G20 decreased neuronal apoptosis and down-regulated the expression of caspase-3 of rats brain after cerebral ischemia and reperfusion.Conclusion:G20 had the protective effect on brain tissue damaged by focal ischemia and reperfusion in rats. The mechanism of G20 may be related to the inhibition of apoptosis by down-regulating the expression of caspase-3.