Tetramethylpyrazine reduces ischemic brain injury in rats

• Published in: Neuroscience letters 2004-11, Vol.372 (1), p.40-45
• Main Authors: Liao, Su-Lan, Kao, Tsung-Kuei, Chen, Wen-Yin, Lin, Yu-Sheng, Chen, Shih-Yun, Raung, Shue-Ling, Wu, Ching-Wen, Lu, Hsi-Chi, Chen, Chun-Jung
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Brain Ischemia - drug therapy; Brain Ischemia - pathology; Cells, Cultured; Cerebral ischemia/reperfusion; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Herbs; Male; Medical sciences; Neurology; Neuroprotection; Pyrazines - therapeutic use; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Tetramethylpyrazine; Vascular diseases and vascular malformations of the nervous system; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs
• ISSN: 0304-3940; 1872-7972
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2004.09.013

Tetramethylpyrazine (TMP), which is widely used in the treatment of ischemic stroke by Chinese herbalists, is one of the most important active ingredients of the traditional Chinese herbal medicine, Ligusticum wallichii Franchat (Chung Xiong). However, the mechanism by which TMP protects the brain is still not clear. We examined neuroprotective effects of TMP after transient focal cerebral ischemia using common carotid artery and middle cerebral artery occlusion model in rats and evaluated the involvement of anti-inflammation. TMP administrated intraperitoneally significantly protected the brain against ischemic insult as evidenced by the reduction in infarction volume, preservation of neurons, and decrease in brain edema. TMP markedly reduced cerebral ischemia/reperfusion-induced inflammatory cell activation and proinflammatory mediator production. Moreover, TMP suppressed lipopolysaccharide/interferon-γ-induced inflammation and prostaglandin E 2 production in cultured glial cells. Our findings suggest that one of neuroprotective effects of TMP against ischemic brain injury might involve its anti-inflammatory potential.