Open AccessHerbal decoction of Gastrodia, Uncaria, and Curcuma confers neuroprotection against cerebral ischemia in vitro and in vivo
Author(s) -
Zhi-Han Wang,
Bing-Hong Chen,
Yingying Lin,
Xing Jin,
Zilong Wei,
Li Ren
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of integrative neuroscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.336
H-Index - 33
eISSN - 1757-448X
pISSN - 0219-6352
DOI - 10.31083/j.jin.2020.03.002
Subject(s) - gastrodia elata , curcuma , neuroprotection , pharmacology , traditional medicine , in vivo , apoptosis , western blot , decoction , chemistry , medicine , biology , biochemistry , pathology , traditional chinese medicine , alternative medicine , microbiology and biotechnology , gene
"Tianma" ( Gastrodia ) and "gouteng" ( Uncaria ) are both widely used to treat cerebral ischemia. At the same time, "ezhu" ( Curcuma longa ) or turmeric, is derived from the dried roots of C. longa . It is a polyphenol known for its anti-inflammatory effects and its promotion of blood vessel endothelial function. This study explored the neuroprotective effects of a water extract of "tianma", "gouteng", and "ezhu" against ischemic injury. Flow cytometry analysis showed that Gastrodia , Uncaria , and Curcuma reduced the proportion of apoptotic cells in CoCl 2 induced B35 ( P = 0.0027) and SH-SY5Y ( P = 0.0006) cell sample relative to the respective control group. Western blot indicated that Gastrodia , Uncaria , and Curcuma upregulated the expression of Bcl-2 and inversely downregulated Bax and Caspase-3 ( P < 0.001). The infarct volume observed in the Gastrodia , Uncaria , and Curcuma group was also decreased compared with the control group ( P < 0.05). Immunofluorescence detection revealed a lower expression of Caspase-7 in the Gastrodia , Uncaria , and Curcuma group than in the control group, while expression was negligible in the sham group. Gastrodia , Uncaria , and Curcuma confer neuroprotective effects in CoCl 2 induced B35/SH-SY5Y cells and a rat model of ischemia by way of its anti-apoptotic effects.