Protective effect of safflower yellow pigment on cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury in rats

Objective To study the protective effect of safflower yellow pigment on cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury in rats.Methods Thirty-six rats were divided into 3groups:sham operation group,model group and treatment group,with 12rats in each group.Before operation,treatment group received intraperitoneal injection of safflor yellow(10mg/(kg·d)),and sham operation group and model group were given intraperitoneal injection of normal saline(2mL/d),totally for 7days.Rat focal cerebral ischemia models were established by using suture methed.Neurological function defect score was evaluated 48hours after operation.The incidence rate of cerebral infarction,brain tissue water content,and the levels of malondialdehyde(MDA),superoxide dismutase(SOD)and nitric oxide(NO)were detected and compared.Results The brain tissue water content was significantly higher in model group than that in sham operation group(P0.05).The neurological function defect score,the incidence rate of cerebral infarction and brain tissue water content were significantly lower in treatment group(2.3±0.4,(8.6±3.2)%,(79.1±5.0)%)than those in model group(3.4±0.6,(13.9±4.5)%,(86.2±5.9)%)(P0.05).The levels of MDA and NO in brain tissue were higher,and SOD activity decreased in model group in comparison with sham operation group(P0.05).Compared with model group,the levels of MDA and NO in brain tissue decreased and SOD activity increased in treatment group(P0.05).Conclusions Safflower yellow pigment has obvious protective effect on rats with cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury by decreasing the levels of MDA and NO and increasing SOD activity in brain tissue.