Effect of Naomaitai on neurocyte apoptosis and the expression of Akt,bcl-2,Bax and caspase3 in rats with cerebral ischemic reperfusion injury

Objective To investigate the effects of Naomaitai on neuron apoptosis and the expression of Akt,bcl-2,Bax and caspase3 in rats with local cerebral ischemic reperfusion.Methods Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into five groups(n=10 each):sham-operated,middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO),Naomaitai treatment MCAO(2.24,1.12 and 0.56 g/kg).Focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion model was prepaved by transient occlusion of the middle cerebral artery for 90 minutes followed by 24 hrs reperfusion.Naomaitai was administered daily five days before operation.Twenty-four hrs after reperfusion,the brains were obtained for TUNEL staining,and Akt,bcl-2,Bax and caspase3 expression was detected by immunohistochemistry method.Results In the 1.12 g/kg and the 2.24 g/kg Naomaitai treatment groups,the apoptotic cells significantly decreased compared with the MCAO group(P0.01).The protein expression of Bax and caspase3 was lower,while the Akt and bcl-2 protein expression were significantly higher in the Naomaitai treatment groups(1.12 g/kg and 2.24 g/kg)than those in the MCAO group(P0.05,P0.01).Conclusions Naomaitai may have protective effects against cerebral ischemic reperfusion injury,possibly through increasing expression of Akt and bcl-2,and decreasing expression of Bax and caspase3.