Effects of puerarin on the expression of Bcl-2 and Bax in rat hippcampal CA1 after acute global cerebral ischemia and reperfusion

AIM To study the effects of puerarin on the expression of Bcl-2 and Bax, genes relating to neuronal apoptosis after cerebral ischemia and reperfusion. METHODS After global cerebral ischemia followed by reperfusion, changes in protein expression of Bcl-2 and Bax were detected by immunohistochemical method. The number of neuronal apoptosis was assessed by TUNEL. The effects of puerarin intervention were observed. RESULTS In CA1, the level of positive expression of Bcl-2 varied to the duration of reperfusion and the peak level was at 6 h reperfusion after 10 min global cerebral ischemia,the peak expression of Bax was at 24 h. The number of neuronal apoptosis after cerebral ischemia reperfusion was increased. In puerarin group, the expression of Bcl-2 was up-regulated and that of Bax was down-regulated, the number of neuronal apoptosis after cerebral ischemia reperfusion was decreased. CONCLUSION Our result indicate that Bcl-2 may restrain apoptosisl. Bax may promote apoptosis after cerebral ischemia and reperfusion and puerarin ameliorate ischemic damage by reducing the apoptosis through regulating Bcl-2 and Bax.