• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.435-440
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• 2010

Valproic acid (VPA) is a well-known anti-epileptic and mood stabilizing drug. A growing number of reports demonstrate that VPA is neuroprotective against various insults. Despite intensive efforts to develop new therapeutics for stroke over the past two decades, all treatments have thus far failed to show clinical effect because of treatment-limiting side effects of the drugs. Therefore, a safety-validated drug like VPA would be an attractive candidate if it has neuroprotective effects against ischemic insults. The present study was undertaken to examine whether pre- and post-insult treatments with VPA protect against brain infarct and neurological deficits in mouse transient (tMCAO) and permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAO) models. In the tMCAO (2 hr MCAO and 22 hr reperfusion) model, intraperitoneal injection of VPA (300 mg/kg, Lp.) 30 min prior to MCAO significantly reduced the infarct size and the neurological deficit. VPA treatment immediately after reperfusion significantly reduced the infarct size. The administration of VPA at 4 hr after reperfusion failed to reduce the infarct size and the neurological deficit. In the pM CAO model, treatment with VPA (300 mg/kg, i.p.) 30 min prior to MCAO significantly attenuated the infarct size, but did not affect the neurological deficit. Western blot analysis of acetylated H3 and H4 protein levels in extracts from the ischemic cortical area showed that treatment with VPA increased the expression of acetylated H3 and H4 at 2 hrs after MCAO. These results demonstrated that treatment with VPA prior to ischemia attenuated ischemic brain damage in both mice tMCAO and pMCAO models and treatment with VPA immediately after reperfusion reduced the infarct area in the tMCAO model. VPA could therefore be evaluated for clinical use in stroke patients.

• Journal of International Academy of Physical Therapy Research
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.193-200
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• 2011

This study is intended to examine the tDCS and Montoya stair task(MST) on sensorimotor recovery and glial scar expression in MCAo induced stroke model of rat. To achieve this goal, this study selected 80 SD rats of 8 weeks. The experiment groups were divided them into four groups, and assigned 20 rats to each group. Group I was a experimental control group; GroupII was a tDCS application group after MCAo; Group III was a MST application group after MCAo; Group IV was a tDCS and MST application group after MCAo. In each group, neurological function test measurement, motor behavior test, montoya stair task test, immunohistochemistric finding of GFAP expression finding were analyzed. In motor behavior test, the outcome of group I was significantly difference than the other group, especially from 14days. In montoya stair task test, the outcome of group I was significantly lower than the other group especially, group II were significantly different on 14days and group IV was most significantly difference than the other group. In immunohistochemistric finding, group II, III, IV were decrease GFAP expression on depend on time stream. These results throughout the MCAo due to focal ischemic brain injury rat model four weeks tDCS and MST was applied, when the neurobehavioural, upper extremity function and ability, histopathologic data suggest that sensorimotor function recovery and a positive influence on glial scar decrease and confirmed that.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.27 no.2 s.66
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• pp.70-85
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• 2006

Objectives; This study examined the neuroprotective effect of Hyulbuchookautang (血府逐瘀湯, HBCAT)against neural damage following focal cerebral infarction. Methods : Sprague-Dawley Rats were induced with focal cerebral infarction by temporal middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). The rats were divided into 2 groups. We treated extract of HBCAT to one group after operation (sample group), and the other group wasn't treated after operation (control group). We observed neurological scores and TIC-stained infarct area, total infarct volume in brain sections and Bax-positive neurons, HSP70- positive neurons in brain regions. Results : HBCAT treatment at 3 days after MCAO reduced neurological scores induced by MCAO. HBCAT treatment at 5 days after MCAO reduced TTC-stained infarct area in brain sections induced by MCAO. HBCAT treatment at 5 days after MCAO reduced total infarct volume in brain sections induced by MCAO. HBCAT treatment after MCAO reduced Bax-positive neurons in cortex infarct core and cortex infarct penumbra and caudo-putamen of brain regions induced by MCAO. HBCAT treatment after MCAO reduced HSP70- positive neurons in cortex infarct penumbra of brain regions induced by MCAO. Conclusions : These results suggest that HBCAT has a neuroprotective effect against focal cerebral ischemia.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.55-63
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• 2022

Oleanolic acid (OA), a natural pentacyclic triterpenoid, has been reported to exert protective effects against several neurological diseases through its anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities. The goal of the present study was to evaluate the therapeutic potential of OA against acute and chronic brain injuries after ischemic stroke using a mouse model of transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO, MCAO/reperfusion). OA administration immediately after reperfusion significantly attenuated acute brain injuries including brain infarction, functional neurological deficits, and neuronal apoptosis. Moreover, delayed administration of OA (at 3 h after reperfusion) attenuated brain infarction and improved functional neurological deficits during the acute phase. Such neuroprotective effects were associated with attenuation of microglial activation and lipid peroxidation in the injured brain after the tMCAO challenge. OA also attenuated NLRP3 inflammasome activation in activated microglia during the acute phase. In addition, daily administration of OA for 7 days starting from either immediately after reperfusion or 1 day after reperfusion significantly improved functional neurological deficits and attenuated brain tissue loss up to 21 days after the tMCAO challenge; these findings supported therapeutic effects of OA against ischemic stroke-induced chronic brain injury. Together, these findings showed that OA exerted neuroprotective effects against both acute and chronic brain injuries after tMCAO challenge, suggesting that OA is a potential therapeutic agent to treat ischemic stroke.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.419-434
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• 2013

Objectives: The object of this study is to observe the cognition and motor function recovery effects of Joojakwhan (JJW), a traditional Korean poly-herbal formula for treating various neuropsychiatric diseases such as dementia, for the mildly stroke rats, with 60 minutes of reperfusion transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO). Methods: In the present study, 125, 250 and 500 mg/kg of JJW were orally administered, once per day for 10 continuous days 2 hours after the tMCAO. The body weight changes, infarct sizes under 2% 2, 3, 5-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC) stain, sensorimotor functions and cognitive motor behavior tests were serially monitored with cerebral caspase-3 and cleaved poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP)-immunoreactivities and histopathological changes. The effects of tMCAO on sensorimotor functions were evaluated by using of limb placing and body-swing tests, and the cognitive motor behaviors were also observed with water maze tests. Results: From the results of tMCAO, with marked decreases of body weights, disorders of sensorimotor functions increases the limb placing test scores, and decrease the numbers and percentages of body swings to the ipsilateral sides. The cognitive motor behaviors increases the distances and time to reach the escape platform which included the inhibitions of the decreases with repeated trials that were observed with focal cerebral cortex infarct volumes. In addition, the marked increases of the atrophy, numbers of degeneration, caspase-3- and PARP-immunoreactive cells around peri-infarct ipsilateral cerebral cortex were also observed in tMCAO controls when compared with the sham control rats, respectively. Conclusions: The results obtained from this study suggest that oral administrations of JJW indicate obvious cognitions and motor function recoveries of the rats with tMCAO, mild strokes, which are mediated by neuro-protective effects through known antioxidant effects of components.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.273-282
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• 2011

This study was to investigate the effect of improve forelimb sensorimotor function and neurotrophic factor(GAP-43) expression when differing an application time of tDCS in ischemic brain injury rat model(pre, $1^{st}$, $7^{th}$, $14^{th}$). Focal ischemic brain injury was induced in 80 Sprague-Dawley rats through middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO) by 'Longa' method. And then experimental groups were randomly divided into four groups; GroupI: MCAO induction, GroupII: application of tDCS(10 min) after MCAO induction, GroupIII: application of tDCS(20 min) after MCAO induction, GroupIV: application of tDCS(30 min) after MCAO induction. Modified limb placing test and single pellet reaching test were performed to test forelimb sensorimotor function. And the histological examination was also observed through the immunohistochemistric response of GAP-43(growth-associated protein-43) in the cerebral cortex. In modified limb placing test, groupIII(p<0.05) showed significantly improve than the other groups on $14^{th}$). day. In single pellet reaching test, groupIII(p<0.01) and groupIV(p<0.05) significantly improved on $14^{th}$) day. And in immunohistochemistric response of GAP-43, group III showed significantly positive response than the other groups on $14^{th}$ day. These results suggest that the intensity(0.1 mA)/time(20 min) condition of tDCS application has a significant impact on the sensorimotor functional recovery in focal ischemic brain injury rat models.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.512-518
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• 2020

Stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability in ischemic survivors who are suffering from motor, cognitive, and memory impairment. Previously, we have reported suppressing LPA₅ activity with its specific antagonist can attenuate acute brain injuries after ischemic stroke. However, it is unclear whether suppressing LPA₅ activity can also attenuate chronic brain injuries after ischemic stroke. Here, we explored whether effects of LPA₅ antagonist, TCLPA5, could persist a longer time after brain ischemic stroke using a mouse model challenged with tMCAO. TCLPA5 was administered to mice every day for 3 days, starting from the time immediately after reperfusion. TCLPA5 administration improved neurological function up to 21 days after tMCAO challenge. It also reduced brain tissue loss and cell apoptosis in mice at 21 days after tMCAO challenge. Such long-term neuroprotection of TCLPA5 was associated with enhanced neurogenesis and angiogenesis in post-ischemic brain, along with upregulated expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factor. Collectively, results of the current study indicates that suppressing LPA₅ activity can provide long-term neuroprotection to mice with brain ischemic stroke.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.77-83
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• 2012

Objectives : This work was designed to investigate the effect of The root of Achyranthes japonica Nakai (AJN) water extract on serum deprivation reperfusion-induced apoptosis in PC-12 cells and transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO)-induced ischemic brains of rats. Methods : Apoptosis in PC12 cells was induced by serum deprivation and reperfusion. The cells were treated with AJN water extract at doses of 0.5 and 1.0 mg/ml for 24 hr after inducing the apoptosis. Cell viability was determined by WST-1 assay. The expression of caspase-3 protein was determined by Western blot. Ischemic brains were prepared from tMCAO-induced ischemic rats after oral administration with AJN at dose of 50 and 100 mg/kg, and then brain infarction was measured by TTC staining. Results : AJN significantly increased the cell viability in apoptocic-induced PC-12 cells, and also decreased the expression of caspase-3 protein. Furthermore, the administration of AJN significantly inhibited tMCAO-induced brain infarction in rats. Conclusions : Our results suggest that AJN extract has a neuroprotective property via suppressing the apoptosis in PC12 cells and the infarction of ischemic brains.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.71-79
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• 2010

Objectives : In this study, the neuroprotective effects of modified Boyanghwano-Tang (mBHT) and the major medicinal plants, Astragali Radix(AR) and Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix(SMR) were investigated in transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO)-induced ischemic stroke of rats. Methods : mBHT(400 mg/kg) and AR(154 mg/kg) or SMR(62 mg/kg) water extract orally injected in rats after 90 min occlusion of MCA and then allow reperfusion to 24 h. Brain infarction was measured by TTC staining and the expressions of NOS isoforms and apoptotic molecules were determined in ischemic brain by Western blot. Results : The results showed that mBHT has stronger neuropreotective property through inhibitions of the PARP cleaved and caspase-3 activation in ischemic rats, and could reduced infarction volumes comparison of those of AR or SMR, respectively. While, AR extract has an angiogenic property through increasing the expressions of eNOS and VEGF, and SMR extract has a strong anti-inflammatory effects through inhibition of iNOS expression in ischemic brains. Conclusions : These results suggest that mBHT has multifactorial therapeutic advantages through anti-apoptosis, anti-inflammation and angiogenesis for ischemic stroke based on a synergistic combination of ingradients rather than monotherapy.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.60 no.4
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• pp.391-396
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• 2017

Objective : To investigate the neuroprotective effects of Ginkgolide B (GB) against ischemic stroke-induced injury in vivo and in vitro, and further explore the possible mechanisms concerned. Methods : Transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) mice and oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R)-treated N2a cells were used to explore the neuroprotective effects of GB. The expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) was detected via Western blot and qRT-PCR. Results : GB treatment (4 mg/kg, i. p., bid) significantly reduced neurological deficits, water content, and cerebral infarct volume in tMCAO mice. GB also significantly increased Bcl-2/Bax ratio, reduced the expression of caspase-3, and protected against OGD/R-induced neuronal apoptosis. Meanwhile, GB caused the up-regulation of BDNF protein in vivo and in vitro. Conclusion : Our data suggest that GB might protect the brain against ischemic insult partly via modulating BDNF expression.