[Effects of Qingkailing effective components on nuclear factor-kappa B in an ischemia-reperfusion injury model of rat brain microvascular endothelial cells in vitro]

Synergism and rules from combination of Baicalin, Jasminoidin and Desoxycholic acid in refined Qing Kai Ling for treat ischemic stroke mice model

Refined Qing-Kai-Ling (QKL), a modified Chinese medicine, consists of three main ingredients (Baicalin, Jasminoidin and Desoxycholic acid), plays a synergistic effect on the treatment of the acute stage of ischemic stroke. However, the rules of the combination and synergism are still unknown. Based on the ischemic stroke mice model, all different kinds of combination of Baicalin, Jasminoidin, and Desoxycholic acid were investigated by the methods of neurological examination, microarray, and genomics analysis. As a result, it confirmed that the combination of three drugs offered a better therapeutical effect on ischemic stroke than monotherapy of each drug. Additionally, we used Ingenuity pathway Analysis (IPA) and principal component analysis (PCA) to extract the dominant information of expression changes in 373 ischemia-related genes. The results suggested that 5 principal components (PC1-5) could account for more than 95% energy in the gene data. Moreover, 3 clusters (PC1, PC2+PC5, and PC3+PC4) were addressed with cluster analysis. Furthermore, we matched PCs on the drug-target networks, the findings demonstrated that Baicalin related with PC1 that played the leading role in the combination; Jasminoidin related with PC2+PC5 that played a compensatory role; while Desoxycholic acid had the least performance alone which could relate with PC3+PC4 that played a compatible role. These manifestations were accorded with the principle of herbal formulae of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), emperor-minister-adjuvant-courier. In conclusion, we firstly provided scientific evidence to the classic theory of TCM formulae, an initiating holistic viewpoint of combination therapy of TCM. This study also illustrated that PCA might be an applicable method to analyze the complicated data of drug combination.

Baicalin reduces the permeability of the blood-brain barrier during hypoxia in vitro by increasing the expression of tight junction proteins in brain microvascular endothelial cells

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Baicalin is one of the principal flavonoids isolated from the dried root of Scutellariae Baicalensis Georgi and has been widely used as a traditional herbal medicine to suppress brain edema and reduce cerebral ischemic damage. However, the effects of baicalin on the blood-brain barrier (BBB) are poorly understood.

AIM OF THE STUDY

To explore the effects of baicalin on the permeability of the BBB under ischemic conditions in vitro with regard to changes in the tight junctions(TJ) proteins claudin-5 and zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Brain microvascular endothelial cells(BMVECs) from Bal b/c mice were cultured to establish an in vitro BBB model. Oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD) was applied to simulate ischemia. The experiment consisted of a normal control group, a model group and baicalin-treated groups (high-dose group, moderate-dose group and low-dose group). Transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER) and permeability to HRP were used as indicators of changes in BBB permeability. A real-time fluorescent quantitative assay was utilized to monitor the transcriptional changes in claudin-5 and ZO-1, and western blotting was used to detect the changes in protein expression of claudin-5, ZO-1 and PKC.

RESULTS

OGD led to a significant increase of permeability in this in vitro BBB model. Baicalin effectively decreased the permeability of the BBB, promoted transcription and expression of TJ proteins (claudin-5 and ZO-1) and reduced the levels of PKC.

CONCLUSIONS

We propose that baicalin is capable of restoring the barrier function of the BBB under ischemic conditions and this beneficial effect may be linked to the decreased expression of TJ proteins.

[Thinking and practice on research of effective components of traditional Chinese medicine compound prescriptions]

By analyzing current research status and considering our own previous research results, we hold that research on active substance of Chinese herbal formula should be focused on the effect of active components according to its functions, thus determining the main effective components of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) compound prescriptions. Study of compatibility of effective components should be carried out and compound prescriptions composed of effective components should be developed. It is a pivotal way to deepen research on active components of TCM compound prescription by further analyzing the compatibility of effective components and the relationship between functional components and active components by multilink and multitarget methods.