Carvacrol Exerts Neuroprotective Effects Via Suppression of the Inflammatory Response in Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusio
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Carvacrol Exerts Neuroprotective Effects Via Suppression of the Inflammatory Response in Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion Rats Zhenlan Li,1 Cong Hua,2 Xiaoqiang Pan,2 Xijia Fu,3 and Wei Wu2,4
Abstract—Increasing evidence demonstrates that inflammation plays an important role in cerebral ischemia. Carvacrol, a monoterpenic phenol, is naturally occurring in various plants belonging to the family Lamiaceae and exerts protective effects in a mice model of focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury by reducing infarct volume and decreasing the expression of cleaved caspase-3. However, the antiinflammatory mechanisms by which carvacrol protect the brain have yet to be fully elucidated. We investigated the effects of carvacrol on inflammatory reaction and inflammatory mediators in middle cerebral artery occlusion rats. The results of the present study showed that carvacrol inhibited the levels of inflammatory cytokines and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, as well as the expression of iNOS and COX-2. It also increased SOD activity and decreased MDA level in ischemic cortical tissues. In addition, carvacrol treatment suppressed the ischemia/reperfusion-induced increase in the protein expression of nuclear NF-kB p65. In conclusion, we have shown that carvacrol inhibits the inflammatory response via inhibition of the NF-kB signaling pathway in a rat model of focal cerebral ischemia. Therefore, carvacrol may be a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of cerebral ischemia injury. KEY WORDS: carvacrol; ischemic stroke; inflammatory response.
INTRODUCTION Stroke is one of the leading causes of death and disability [1]. Ischemic stroke constitutes approximately 80 % of all strokes and is characterized by an initial interruption of blood flow and the subsequent restoration of blood supply and concomitant reoxygenation, leading to irreversible brain damages and persistent neurologic dysfunction [2]. Multiple lines of evidence support that inflammatory reaction plays an important role in the pathogenesis and progression of ischemic 1
Department of Rehabilitation, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Xinmin Street No.71, Changchun, 130021, Jilin, China 2 Department of Neurosurgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Xinmin Street No.71, Changchun, 130021, Jilin, China 3 Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Xinmin Street No.71, Changchun, 130021, Jilin, China 4 To whom correspondence should be addressed at Department of Neurosurgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Xinmin Street No.71, Changchun, 130021, Jilin, China. E-mail: [email protected]
stroke [3–5]. Thus, suppression of inflammatory reaction would reduce ischemic brain damage. Carvacrol, a monoterpenic phenol, is naturally occurring in various plants belonging to the family Lamiaceae and has been widely used both as a food or food additive in the food industry for long time. It is abundant in the essential oil fraction of oregano and thyme [6]. A growing body of evidence indicates that it exerts protectiv
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