Goji polysaccharide can protect against focal cerebral ischemic reperfusion injury in mice. - GreenMedInfo Summary

OBJECTIVE: To observe the protective effects of Lycium barbarum polysaccharide(LBP) on focal cerebral ischemic reperfusion injury in mice, and to explore its mechanism.

METHODS: Male mice were randomly divided into six groups: sham-operated group, middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO) mice group, MCAO mice treating with 4 mg/kg Nimodipine group and MCAO mice treating with 10, 20 and 40 mg/kg LBP groups. The mice were preventively administrated with LBP by intragastric administration for seven days. After 2 h of cerebral ischemia and 24 h of reperfusion, neurological scores in each group mice were estimated. Morphological changes in ischemic brain neurons were performed for HE staining. The number of apoptotic neurons was detected by Tunel staining. The Caspase-3 protein activity was measured by spectrophotometry. BAX and BCL-2 protein expressions in ischemic brains were investigated by Western blot analysis.

RESULTS: Compared to the vehicle group, neurological deficit scores were significantly reduced in LBP pretreatment group(P<0.01). LBP( 10,20 and 40 mg/kg) groups relieved neuronal morphological damage respectively and also obviously attenuated the neuronal apoptosis (P<0. 05). Caspase-3 protein activity and BAX protein expression were obviously decreased(P<0. 05, P<0. 01) and BCL-2 protein expression was markedly increased(P<0. 01) in LBP pretreatment groups.

CONCLUSION: LBP can protect against focal cerebral ischemic reperfusion injury in mice,the mechanism may be related with attenuating the apoptosis in ischemic brains.