Lin AMY, Ping YH, Chang GF, Wang JY, Chiu JH, Kuo CD, Chi CW. Neuroprotective effect of oral S/B remedy (Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi and Bupleurum scorzonerifolfium Willd) on iron-induced neurodegeneration in the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system of rat brain.
J Ethnopharmacol 2011;
134:884-891. [PMID:
21296142 DOI:
10.1016/j.jep.2011.01.056]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2010] [Revised: 01/11/2011] [Accepted: 01/28/2011] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
AIM OF THE STUDY
S/B remedy prepared from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi and Bupleurum scorzonerifolfium Willd, two herbals of Xiao-Tsai-Hu-Tang or Sho-Saiko-To (TJ-9), contains active flavonoids. In this study, the protective effect of S/B remedy on iron-induced neurodegeneration was investigated in the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system of rat brain.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The antioxidative activity of S/B remedy was studied using brain homogenates incubated with ferrous citrate (iron, 1M), S/B remedy, Trolox and melatonin. Furthermore, a Parkinsonian animal model by an intranigral infusion of iron in the anesthetized rats was employed to investigate the protective effect of S/B remedy in the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system.
RESULTS
Our in vitro studies showed that S/B remedy was more potent than melatonin and equal to trolox in inhibiting iron-induced lipid peroxidation of brain homogenates. Our in vivo studies found that oral administration of S/B remedy dose-dependently attenuated iron-elevated lipid peroxidation in the infused substantia nigra (SN) and iron-depleted dopamine levels in the ipsilateral striatum. Furthermore, iron-induced reductions in glutathione (GSH) content and increases in GSSG (oxidized GSH)/GSH ratio in the infused SN were inhibited in S/B remedy-treated rats. Systemic S/B remedy attenuated the iron-induced increases in heme-oxygenase-1 levels and α-synuclein aggregation in the infused SN. Moreover, S/B remedy reduced iron-induced apoptosis via attenuating mitochondrial and endoplasmic reticulum stress. In addition, S/B remedy was anti-inflammatory as indicated by the attenuation of iron-induced elevations in inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclo-oxygenase II levels as well as glial fibrillary acidic protein (a biological marker of astrocytes) and ED-1 (a protein indicative of activated microglia) levels in the infused SN of S/B remedy-treated rats.
CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that oral administration of S/B remedy is protective against iron-induced neurodegeneration in the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system of rat brain. Therefore, S/B remedy may be therapeutically useful for the treatment of CNS neurodegenerative diseases.
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