Anti-inflammatory properties of lipoxin A4 protect against diabetes mellitus complicated by focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury

Lipoxin A4 can alleviate cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury by reducing the inflammatory reaction,but it is currently unclear whether it has a protective effect on diabetes mellitus complicated by focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury.In this study,we established rat models of diabetes mellitus using an intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin.We then induced focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury by occlusion of the middle cerebral artery for 2 hours and reperfusion for 24 hours.After administration of lipoxin A4 via the lateral ventricle,infarction volume was reduced,the expression levels of pro-inflammatory factors tumor necrosis factor alpha and nuclear factor-kappa B in the cerebral cortex were decreased,and neurological functioning was improved.These findings suggest that lipoxin A4 has strong neuroprotective effects in diabetes mellitus complicated by focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury and that the underlying mechanism is related to the anti-inflammatory action of lipoxin A4.

Amentoflavone protects hippocampal neurons: anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, and antiapoptotic effects

Amentoflavone is a natural biflavone compound with many biological properties, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, and neuroprotective effects. We presumed that amentoflavone exerts a neuroprotective effect in epilepsy models. Prior to model establishment, mice were intragastrically administered 25 mg/kg amentoflavone for 3 consecutive days. Amentoflavone effectively prevented pilocarpine-induced epilepsy in a mouse kindling model, suppressed nuclear factor-κB activation and expression, inhibited excessive discharge of hippocampal neurons resulting in a reduction in epileptic seizures, shortened attack time, and diminished loss and apoptosis of hippocampal neurons. Results suggested that amentoflavone protected hippocampal neurons in epilepsy mice via anti-inflammation, antioxidation, and antiapoptosis, and then effectively prevented the occurrence of seizures.

Propofol protects against blood-spinal cord barrier disruption induced by ischemia/reperfusion injury

Propofol has been shown to exert neuroprotective effects on the injured spinal cord.However,the effect of propofol on the blood-spinal cord barrier（BSCB） after ischemia/reperfusion injury（IRI） is poorly understood.Therefore,we investigated whether propofol could maintain the integrity of the BSCB.Spinal cord IRI（SCIRI） was induced in rabbits by infrarenal aortic occlusion for 30 minutes.Propofol,30 mg/kg,was intravenously infused 10 minutes before aortic clamping as well as at the onset of reperfusion.Then,48 hours later,we performed histological and m RNA/protein analyses of the spinal cord.Propofol decreased histological damage to the spinal cord,attenuated the reduction in BSCB permeability,downregulated the m RNA and protein expression levels of matrix metalloprotease-9（MMP-9） and nuclear factor-κB（NF-κB）,and upregulated the protein expression levels of occludin and claudin-5.Our findings suggest that propofol helps maintain BSCB integrity after SCIRI by reducing MMP-9 expression,by inhibiting the NF-κB signaling pathway,and by maintaining expression of tight junction proteins.

Effects of Scutellaria baicalensis on neurogenesis in the hippocampal dentate gyrus and on spatial memory of adult rats

We investigated the effects of ethanol extracted Scutellaria baicalensis（EESB） on spatial memory function and neurogenesis in the hippocampal dentate gyrus.Adult Sprague-Dawley rats were orally administered 50,100,or 200 mg/kg of EESB for 6 successive days.The radial-arm maze test showed that 200 mg/kg of EESB improved the spatial memory of adult rats.Confocal microscopy results showed that 100 mg/kg of EESB increased the number of bromodeoxyuridine（BrdU）-and neuron-specific nuclear protein-positive cells in the granular cell layer,and that 100 and 200 mg/kg of EESB increased the number of BrdU-/neuron-specific nuclear protein-positive cells in the sub-granular zone.200 mg/kg of EESB increased the number of BrdU-/glial fibrillary acid protein-positive cells in the subgranular zone.These findings indicate that EESB can effectively promote neurogenesis in the hippocampal dentate gyrus and improve spatial memory function.