Postischemic administration of liposome-encapsulated luteolin prevents against ischemia-reperfusion injury in a rat middle cerebral artery occlusion model

• Published in: The Journal of nutritional biochemistry 2011-10, Vol.22 (10), p.929-936
• Main Authors: Zhao, Gang, Zang, Shao-Yun, Jiang, Zhi-Hua, Chen, Yao-Yue, Ji, Xun-He, Lu, Bu-Feng, Wu, Jia-Hu, Qin, Guo-Wei, Guo, Li-He
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal models; Animals; Animals, Newborn; Antioxidants; Antioxidants - metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; Brain; Catalase; Catalase - metabolism; Cell Death; Cerebral blood flow; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Fruits; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Glutathione; Glutathione - metabolism; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery - complications; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery - drug therapy; Injuries; Ischemia; Liposomes; Luteolin; Luteolin - administration & dosage; Luteolin - therapeutic use; Mitochondria; Mitochondria - metabolism; Neurodegenerative diseases; Neurons; Neuroprotectant; Neuroprotection; Neuroprotective agents; Neuroprotective Agents - administration & dosage; Neuroprotective Agents - therapeutic use; Oxidant-antioxidant balance; Perilla frutescens; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Reactive oxygen species; Reactive Oxygen Species - metabolism; Reperfusion; Reperfusion Injury - etiology; Reperfusion Injury - prevention & control; Stroke; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems
• ISSN: 0955-2863; 1873-4847
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2010.07.014

Oxidative stress-induced neuronal cell death has been implicated in neurodegenerative diseases; one such disease is ischemic stroke. Using reactive oxygen species (ROS)-insulted primary neurons, we screened neuroprotectants with clinical potential and then, using ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) model, investigated the anti-ischemic potential of candidate neuroprotectants. Here, we showed that luteolin, isolated from the ripe fruit of Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt, exhibited a neuroprotective action upon the in vitro platform, thus serving as candidate for in vivo pharmacological evaluation. Liposome-encapsulated luteolin produced dramatic preventing effects on I/R-induced behavioral and histological injuries after a 13-day post-ischemic treatment. Furthermore, this phytochemical not only lowered the increased level of mitochondrial ROS but also substantially up-regulated the decreased activity of catalase and glutathione in I/R rat brains. Collectively, luteolin as a neuroprotectant acts by anti-ischemic activity likely through a rebalancing of pro-oxidant/antioxidant status. Its multitarget mechanisms implicate potential effectiveness for clinically treating ischemia stroke.