Effects of pretreatment with methanol extract of Peucedani Radix on transient ischemic brain injury in mice

BACKGROUND: Stroke is the second most common cause of death and may result in various disabilities; thus, identification of neuroprotective therapeutic agents is important. Peucedani Radix (PR), the root of Angelica decursiva, is a well-known remedy for damp and phlegm in Korean medicine and has also been shown to exert antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. This study was performed to investigate the mechanism underlying the anti-inflammatory effect of methanol extract of PR (PRex) on cerebral ischemic injury. METHODS: C57BL/6 male mice were orally administered PRex (20, 60, or 200 mg/kg) at 2 days, 1 day, and 1 h prior to middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Twenty-four hours after MCAO, the infarct volume was measured and the neurological deficit score was assessed. The inflammatory-related substances in the ipsilateral hemisphere were determined by western blotting, DCFH-DA assay, TBARS assay, and ELISA. RESULTS: PRex pretreatment significantly decreased the infarct volume at 24 h after MCAO. Moreover, PRex effectively suppressed the expression of iNOS, ROS, MDA, and pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-1β and TNF-α, in brain tissue of mice with MCAO-induced brain injury. CONCLUSIONS: PRex protected neurons from ischemic brain injury in mice through its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Our results suggested that PR could be a promising candidate in the therapy of ischemia-induced brain damage. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13020-017-0151-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.