• 대한본초학회지
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• 제24권1호
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• pp.179-189
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• 2009

Objectives : Coptidis Rhizoma (Coptis japonica MAKINO; CR) is a well known crude drug as antimicrobial, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant activity. However, there is no study of the effect of CR on brain infarction and it's mechanism. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects on ischemic stroke induced by photothrombotic infarction by evaluating the functional & neuronal recovery after brain infarction. Materials & Methods : Male Sprague-Dawley rats (250-300 g) were induced photothrombotic brain infarction on sensorimotor cortex, and brain infarction volume by image J software (NIH, USA) after Nissl stain, also single pellet reaching task as a functional motor recovery were observed. After orally pretreated by CR (500 mg/kg) or normal saline as a sham control before 7 days from the time of photothrombotic infarction, rats were sacrificed. After then we analysed anti-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-$\alpha$, IL-6, IL-1$\beta$), by RT-PCR and ELISA method, and immunohistochemistry (GFAP, connexin-43) as a marker of neural plasticity. Results : CR (100, 250, 500 mg/kg) decreased the infarction volume dose-dependently, however the effect of 500mg/kg of CR (CR 500) showed the best (P=0.051). Also, CR 500 decreased the infarction volume time-dependently, the most effective time was 3-7 days after stroke. Photothrombosis increased inflammatory cytokines after infarction, CR 500 suppressed significantly mRNA expression of IL-1$\beta$, IL-6 and TNF-$\alpha$. In serum, CR 500 decreased the amount of IL-1$\beta$, 12h, 24h and 48h respectively (p < 0.05), also decreased that of IL-6 and TNF-$\alpha$, 12h respectively (p < 0.05) after infarction. The more astrocytes were observed and neural plasticity was facilitated in the rat brain of CR 500 than that of sham control in immunohistochemistry. Conclusions : This results suggest that CR decrease infarction volume and improve functional motor recovery in acute stage in photothrombotic ischemic infarction model in the mechanism of anti-inflammation and promoting neural plasticity.