Protective effects of Huanglian-Jiedu-Tang on chronic brain injury after focal cerebral ischemia in mice

Abstract

Objective:To investigate the neuroprotective effects of Chinese herb medicine Huanglian-Jiedu-Tang (HJDT) on chronic brain injury after focal cerebral ischemia in mice. Methods: Focal cerebral ischemia was induced by occlusion of right middle cerebral artery (MCA) for 15 min. HJDT (at dosage of 2 g/kg or 4 g/kg,qd,orally) was administered for 21 d from d 7 before ischemia until d 14 after ischemia. The sham and ischemic controls were administered with normal saline orally. The neurological deficit scoring and the inclined board testing were performed within 35 d after ischemia. The survival rate,the infarct volume and the neuron density were assessed 35 d after ischemia. Results: HJDT increased the survival rate at dose of 4 g/kg; significantly reduced the neurological deficits,infarct volume and cerebral atrophy at doses of 2 and 4 g/kg after ischemia; and significantly increased the neuron density in the ischemic hippocampal CA1 region,striatum and cortex at dose of 4 g/kg but only increase the density in hippocampal CA1 region at dose of 2 g/kg. Conclusion: Chinese herb medicine HJDT has neuroprotective effects on chronic brain injury after focal cerebral ischemia in mice.