Effects of scrophulariae extract on oxidative stress and inflammatory response of mice with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury
Objective To explore effects of scrophulariae extract on oxidative stress and inflammatory response of mice with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury(CRI).Methods Sixty SPF grade male C57BL/6 mice were divided into model group,normal group,positive control group,low-dose group,and high-dose group using a random number table method,with 12 mice in each group.The mouse CRI models were established for the model group,positive control group,low-dose group and high-dose group.Before modeling,mice in the low and high dose groups were given 5 mL/kg and 20 mL/kg of scrophulariae extract by gavage before surgery,respectively;the positive control group was given 20 mL/kg of simvastatin by gavage;the model group and the normal group were both given an equal amount of 0.9%sodium chloride injection by gavage before surgery,both once a day,for five consecutive days.The mouse neurological function was evaluated using the Bederson and Longa scoring methods;the Morris water maze experiment was used to determine the time for mice to find the platform(incubation period)and the number of times they crossed the platform;serum malondialdehyde(MDA)levels were measured using thiobarbituric acid colorimetric method,and serum superoxide dismutase(SOD)levels were measured using xanthine oxidase method;enzyme linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure the levels of serum IL-6,IL-8,and TNF-α;the volume of cerebral infarction of mice was also measured.Results Compared with the normal group,the Bederson score,Longa score,MDA,IL-6,IL-8 and TNF-α levels,and percentage of cerebral infarction volume in other groups were significantly increased,while SOD levels were significantly reduced(all P<0.05);compared with the model group,the positive control group,low-dose group,and high-dose group showed significant reductions in Bederson score,Longa score,MDA,IL-6,IL-8 and TNF-α levels,as well as the percentage of cerebral infarction volume,while the SOD level increased significantly(all P<0.05);compared with the positive control group and the low-dose group,the high-dose group showed a significant decrease in Bederson score,Longa score,stroke volume percentage,MDA,IL-6,IL-8 and TNF-αlevels,while the SOD level increased significantly(all P<0.05).Compared with the normal group,the incubation periods on the 1,2,3 and 4 days in other groups were longer(all P<0.05);the incubation periods on days 1,2,3 and 4 in the positive control group,low-dose group,and high-dose group were shorter than those of the model group(all P<0.05);the incubation period of the high-dose group on days 1,2,3 and 4 were shorter than that of the positive control group and the low-dose group(all P<0.05).Conclusion Scrophulariae extract has a good protective effect on mice with CRI,significantly improving their neurological function and reducing the volume of cerebral infarction.Its mechanism may be related to reducing oxidative stress and inflammatory response.