Based on estrogen receptor-mediated neurotrophic factor pathway to explore the protective effect of Zuogui Pills on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury
LIU Hong1,2 YI Yajing3 YU Ying3 DAI Qiaomei1 ZHANG Yuwei1 YANG Jing1 ZHANG Bo4 ZHONG Lili5
1.School of Basic Medical College, Heilongjiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Heilongjiang Province, Harbin 150040, China;
2.Postdoctoral Mobile Station, Heilongjiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Heilongjiang Province, Harbin 150040, China;
3.Graduate School, Heilongjiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Heilongjiang Province, Harbin 150040, China;
4.Chinese Medicine Research Institute, Heilongjiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Heilongjiang Province, Harbin 150040, China;
5.the First Affiliated Hospital, Heilongjiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Heilongjiang Province, Harbin 150040, China
Abstract:Objective To explore whether Zuogui Pills can play a neuroprotective role by regulating estrogen receptor pathway. Methods A total of 108 female SD rats were eight-ten weeks old and SPF grade level. They were randomly divided into six groups: sham operation group (incision without thread insertion), I/R group (middle cerebral artery occlusion [MCAO] operation by longa thread bolt method), OVX+I/R group (ovariectomy+MCAO operation), OVX+I/R+Zuogui Pills group (ovariectomy+MCAO operation+Zuogui Pills 1.62 g/kg gavage), OVX+I/R+Zuogui Pills+ICI182780 group (ovariectomy+MCAO operation+Zuogui pills gavage+ICI182780 3 mg/kg intraperitoneal injection), OVX+I/R +17β-estradiol group (ovariectomy+MCAO+17β-estradiol 100 μg/kg intraperitoneal injection), 18 rats in each group. The neurological deficit score was used to evaluated the sensory motor function of rats of each group, the novel object recognition experiment was used to observe the memory of rats, and the protein and mRNA expressions of estrogen receptor (ER) α, ERβ, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), nerve growth factor (NGF), tyrosine kinase (Trk) A, TrkB, phosphorylated cAMP response element binding (p-CREB) and CREB were observed. Results The motor function and memory of the rats in the I/R group were lower than those in the sham operation group (P < 0.05); the motor function and memory of the rats in the OVX+I/R group were lower than those in the I/R group (P < 0.05); the motor function and memory of rats in the OVX+I/R+Zuogui Pills group were higher than those of the OVX+I/R group (P < 0.05); the motor function and memory of the OVX+I/R+Zuogui Pills+ICI182780 group were lower than that of OVX+I/R+ Zuogui Pills group (P < 0.05); OVX+I/R+Zuogui Pills group motor function and memory compared with OVX+I/R+17β-estradiol group, and the differences were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). The protein and mRNA (except BDNF) expressions of ERα, ERβ, BDNF, NGF, TrkA, TrkB, and P-CREB in the I/R group were higher than those in the sham operation group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01); the expression of above indexes in the OVX+I/R group were lower than that in the I/R group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01); the expression of above indexes in the OVX+I/R+Zuogui Pills group were higher than that in the OVX+I/R group; the expression of above indexes in the OVX+I/R+Zuogui Pills+ICI182780 group were lower than that in the OVX+I/R+Zuogui Pills group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Compared with the OVX+I/R+17β-estradiol group, the expression of each indexes in the OVX+I/R+Zuogui Pills group were not statistically differences (P > 0.05). Conclusion Zuogui Pills may improve the brain I/R damage of OVX rats through ER-mediated BDNF-TrkB and NGF-TrkA signal transduction.