Effects of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors on cognitive function, apoptosis and oxidative stress in brain tissue of rats with cerebral infarction

Objective:To study the effects of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor(ACEI)on cognitive function,apoptosis and oxidative stress in brain tissue of rats with cerebral infarction.Methods:Adult male SD rats were randomly divided into control group,cerebral infarction group and ACEI group.The latter two groups were used to establish cerebral infarction model by thread embolism.The ACEI group was given oral administration of fosinopril 10mg/kg,and the other two groups were given oral administration of saline.The differences of Morris water maze cognitive function,apoptotic genes and oxidative stress indexes were compared among the three groups.Results:The escape latency of rats in cerebral infarction group was significantly longer than that in control group,the number of times of platform crossing was significantly less than that in control group,the duration of platform stay was significantly shorter than that in control group,the mRNA expression levels of Bcl-2 associated X protein(Bax),factor associated suicide(Fas),Fas ligand(FasL)and Caspase-3,the protein expression levels of phosphorylated Janus kinase(p-JAK2)and phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription(p-STAT3)as well as the contents of reactive oxygen species(ROS)and malonaldehyde(MDA)in brain tissue were significantly higher than those in control group,and the mRNA expression level of B-cell lymphoma-2(Bcl-2)as well as the contents of catalase(CAT)and superoxide dismutase(SOD)in brain tissue was significantly lower than those in control group.The escape latency of rats in ACEI group was significantly shorter than that in cerebral infarction group,the number of times of platform crossing was significantly more than that in cerebral infarction group,the duration of platform stay was significantly longer than that in cerebral infarction group,the mRNA expression levels of Bax,Fas,FasL and Caspase-3,the protein expression levels of p-JAK2 and p-STAT3 as well as the contents of ROS and MDA in brain tissue were significantly lower than those in cerebral infarction group,and the mRNA expression level of Bcl-2 as well as the contents of CAT and SOD in brain tissue was significantly higher than those in cerebral infarction group.Conclusions:ACEI can improve the cognitive function of rats with cerebral infarction and inhibit the apoptosis and oxidative stress in ischemic brain tissue.