Caffeic acid phenethyl ester protects rabbit brains against permanent focal ischemia by antioxidant action: A biochemical and planimetric study

• Published in: Brain research 2008-03, Vol.1201, p.135-142
• Main Authors: Altuğ, Muhammed Enes, Serarslan, Yurdal, Bal, Ramazan, Kontaş, Tünay, Ekici, Fatih, Melek, Ismet M, Aslan, Hüseyin, Duman, Taşkın
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antioxidant activity; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Antioxidants - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers - analysis; Biomarkers - metabolism; Brain Infarction - blood; Brain Infarction - drug therapy; Brain Infarction - pathology; Brain Ischemia - blood; Brain Ischemia - drug therapy; Brain Ischemia - pathology; Brain Mapping; Caffeic acid phenethyl ester; Caffeic Acids - pharmacology; Caffeic Acids - therapeutic use; Catalase - analysis; Catalase - metabolism; Enzyme Inhibitors - pharmacology; Focal permanent cerebral ischemia; Glutathione - analysis; Glutathione - metabolism; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery - drug therapy; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery - metabolism; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery - physiopathology; Injections, Intraperitoneal; Lipid Peroxidation - drug effects; Lipid Peroxidation - physiology; Male; Malondialdehyde - analysis; Malondialdehyde - metabolism; Medical sciences; Nerve Degeneration - blood; Nerve Degeneration - drug therapy; Nerve Degeneration - pathology; Neurology; Neuroprotection; Neuroprotective Agents - pharmacology; Neuroprotective Agents - therapeutic use; Nitric Oxide - analysis; Nitric Oxide - metabolism; Oxidative Stress - drug effects; Oxidative Stress - physiology; Phenylethyl Alcohol - analogs & derivatives; Rabbit; Rabbits; Spectrophotometry; Treatment Outcome; Vascular diseases and vascular malformations of the nervous system; Xanthine Oxidase - analysis; Xanthine Oxidase - metabolism
• ISSN: 0006-8993; 1872-6240
• DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2008.01.053

Abstract The present study was conducted to investigate whether caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), an active component of propolis extract, has a protective effect on brain injury after focal permanent cerebral ischemia, and to determine the possible antioxidant mechanisms. Cerebral infarction in adult male New Zealand rabbits was induced by microsurgical procedures producing right focal permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAO). CAPE was administered to the treatment group after pMCAO at a dose of 10 μmol kg − 1 once a day intraperitoneally for 7 days. Neurological deficits were evaluated, using a modified six-point scale. Spectrophotometric assay was used to determine the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT), nitric oxide (NO) and xanthine oxidase (XO). In the ipsilateral hemisphere, the infarct volume of the brain was assessed in brain slices stained with heamatoxylen and eosin. The results showed that treatment with CAPE significantly reduced the percentage of infarction in the ipsilateral hemisphere compared with the ischemia group. CAPE treatment significantly attenuated the elevation of plasma MDA, CAT and XO content ( p < 0.05), whereas it significantly increased the levels of plasma GSH and NO ( p < 0.05). Therefore, subacute CAPE administration plays a protective role in focal pMCAO due to attenuation of lipid peroxidation and its antioxidant activity. All of these findings suggest that CAPE provides neuroprotection against cerebral ischemia injury through its antioxidant action.