Objective: To investigate the protective effects of Naoshuantong, a compound traditional Chinese herbal medicine, on the main components of neurovascular unit in rats with cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury.
Methods: A total of 30 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into sham-operated, ischemia/reperfusion, and ischemia/reperfusion plus Naoshuantong groups. The cerebral ischemia was induced by 1.5 h of middle cerebral artery occlusion, followed by unlocking the thread to induce reperfusion injury. After 24 h of reperfusion, neurological functional deficits were assessed, apoptosis of main components of neurovascular unit was determined by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate-biotin nick end-labeling combined with neuronal nuclei antigen, glial fibrillary acidic protein or CD31 immunofluorescence double staining.
Results: Naoshuantong significantly reduced neurological functional deficits, and reduced neuron, astrocyte and vascular endothelium cell apoptosis induced by ischemia/reperfusion injury in the border zone of ischemic cortex.
Conclusion: Naoshuantong is effective in protecting the neurovascular unit including neurons, astrocytes and vascular endothelium cells against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion-induced apoptosis.