Guhong injection protects against focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury via anti-inflammatory effects in rats

Guhong injection (GHI), composed of aceglutamide and safflower aqueous extract, has been used clinically for the treatment of cerebrovascular diseases such as cerebral embolism, hemorrhage and mental deterioration. In this paper, we reported the results of the first study on the anti-inflammatory effects of GHI in murine focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. Adult male SD rats were randomly divided into six groups: Sham group, I/R group, GHI-L group (2.5 mL/kg), GHI-M group (5 mL/kg), GHI-H group (10 mL/kg) and Nimodipine group. I/R injury was induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) for 1.5 h followed by reperfusion for 24 h. Compared with I/R group, rats treated with GHI showed dose dependent reductions in neurological defect scores and cerebral infarct volume. GHI obviously down-regulated nitric oxide (NO), inducible NO synthase (iNOS), myeloperoxidase (MPO), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), TNF-alpha (tumor necrosis factor-alpha) and C reactive protein (CRP) levels in serum. Moreover, histological examination by H&E staining showed that clear cell outline, less vacuolated spaces and largely surviving neurons were observed in GHI-treated rats. The immunohistochemical staining revealed that GHI administration significantly diminished the positive expressions of intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and nuclear factor-kappa B p65 (NF-kappa B p65) in brain tissues. Western blot analysis for ICAM, NF-kappa B p65 and iNOS further solidified the above findings. All these results demonstrate that GHI exerts a strong and ameliorative effect on cerebral I/R injury in rats possibly through the inhibition of inflammation.