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Neuroprotective effects of icariin in neonatal hypoxia-ischemic brain damage via its anti-apoptotic property

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Abstract

Introduction

Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain damage (HIBD) is a brain disease that is caused by perinatal asphyxia. Icariin (ICA), which is an active component of Epimedii (a Chinese medicinal herb), has been verified to demonstrate a wide range of therapeutic effects, such as alleviating various kinds of brain injury.

Objective

The current study aims to examine the neuroprotective effects of ICA on neonatal HIBD in mice.

Materials and methods

A modified version of the Rice-Vannucci method was performed to establish neonatal HIBD in 7-day-old mouse pups that were pretreated with ICA or vehicle. The infarct volume was measured, and behavioral tests were conducted to assess the protective effects of ICA on the neonatal brain and to evaluate functional recovery after injury. TUNEL staining was used to detect cell apoptosis, and the levels of cleaved caspase-3 and phosphorylated protein kinase B (Akt) were determined by using Western blot.

Results

We showed that pretreatment with ICA could significantly reduce brain damage, improve neurobehavioral outcomes, and suppress apoptotic cell death following HI injury. ICA reversed the HI-induced reduction in phosphorylated Akt and activation of cleaved caspase-3.

Conclusion

The results demonstrate that ICA exerts potential neuroprotective effects on neonatal HIBD, which may be mediated by its anti-apoptotic activity.

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Funding

This project was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China for Youth (grant no. 81901524), the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province(2018A030313579), the Science Foundation of Guangdong Provincial Bureau of Traditional Chinese Medicine(20191015), the Medical Scientific Research Foundation of Guangdong Province, China (grant no. A2020252), and the Science Foundation of Guangdong No. 2 Provincial People’s Hospital for Youth (grant no. YQ2017-001).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Intensive Care Unit, Guangdong No. 2 Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangzhou, 510317, People’s Republic of China

    Mengxia Wang & Ying Rong

  2. School of Biosciences & Biopharmaceutics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, 510006, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China

    Li Luo

  3. Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Bioactive Substances, Guangzhou, 510006, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China

    Li Luo

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  1. Mengxia Wang
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  2. Ying Rong
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Correspondence to Li Luo.

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Wang, M., Rong, Y. & Luo, L. Neuroprotective effects of icariin in neonatal hypoxia-ischemic brain damage via its anti-apoptotic property. Childs Nerv Syst 37, 39–46 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00381-020-04690-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00381-020-04690-8

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