The Effects of Tongqiao Huoxue Decoction on Ferroptosis and Inflammatory Responses in Rats with Cerebral Ischemia

ZHANG Weixuan; ZHENG Jie; BAI Luning

doi:10.12102/j.issn.1672-1349.2026.03.007

Abstract：Objective:To explore the effect of Tongqiao Huoxue Decoction on ferroptosis and inflammatory responses in rats with cerebral ischemia.Methods:Sixty male SD rats were randomly divided into the sham group,the model group,the Tongqiao Huoxue Decoction group and the nimodipine group,with 15 rats in each group.The Tongqiao Huoxue Decoction group was gavaged with the Tongqiao Huoxue Decoction(5.8 g/kg),the Nimodipine group was gavaged with the Nimodipine aqueous solution(10 mg/kg),and the sham group were treated and the model group were gavaged with the same volume of normal saline,while these were treated for one week.The sham group by dissecting blood vessels without placing a suture plug,while the remaining groups were treated for middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO)modeling using a modified Zea-Longa suture occlusion technique.Twenty-four hours post-modeling,neurological function was assessed and compared across groups using the Longa scoring system.Histopathological morphology of cerebro tissue was detected by hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining.Biochemical assay kits were employed to measure iron ions,glutathione(GSH),malondialdehyde(MDA)levels in rat cerebro tissue.The levels of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)and interleukin-6(IL-6)were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Western Blot analysis was used to detect glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4)expression levels.Results:The rats in the model group exhibited symptoms of neurological dysfunction,and the degree of pathological damage in the cerebral cortex was more severe.Compared with the sham group,the neurological function score in the model group increased(P＜0.05),and the contents of iron ions,MDA,TNF-α,and IL-6 in the ischemic side cerebro tissue also increased(P＜0.05),while the GSH content and GPX4 expression decreased(P＜0.05).Compared with the model group,the pathological damage of cerebro tissue in the Tongqiao Huoxue Decoction group was improved,and the neurological function score decreased(P＜0.05).The contents of iron ions,MDA,and TNF-α and IL-6 in the cerebro tissue also decreased(P＜0.05),while the GSH content and GPX4 expression increased(P＜0.05).Conclusion:The Tongqiao Huoxue Decoction cold effectively alleviate the neurological damage caused by cerebral ischemia and its neuroprotective mechanism might be related to the regulation of ferroptosis and inflammation.