Exp Neurobiol.  2008 Dec;17(2):55-62. 10.5607/en.2008.17.2.55.

Protective Effect of Shenqi-wan on Traumatic Brain Injury-induced Delayed Apoptosis in Rat Hippocampal Dentate Gyrus

• Kwon OB
• Lim HH
• Song YK
• Lee JW
• Kim YS
• Kim CJ

• KMID: 2165283
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5607/en.2008.17.2.55

Abstract

Shenqi-wan, Oriental herbal medicine formulation, has been traditionally used for delayed mental and physical development in children, complications of diabetes, and glomerulonephritis. In the present study, the protective effect of the aqueous extract of Shenqi-wan against traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the rat hippocampal dentate gyrus was investigated. For this study, step-down avoidance task, terminal deoxynuclotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay, Bax immunohistochemistry, and 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) immunohistochemistry were conducted. In the present results, it was shown that apoptotic cell death and cell proliferation in the dentate gyrus were significantly increased following TBI in rats and that the aqueous extract of Shenqi-wan suppressed the TBI-induced increase in apoptosis and cell proliferation in the dentate gyrus. Based on the present results, it is possible that the aqueous extract of Shenqi-wan has a neuroprotective effect on TBI-induced neuronal cell death.

Keyword

Shenqi-wan; hippocampal dentate gyrus; traumatic brain injury; apoptosis; cell proliferation

MeSH Terms

Animals
Apoptosis
Brain
Brain Injuries
Bromodeoxyuridine
Cell Death
Cell Proliferation
Child
Dentate Gyrus
Glomerulonephritis
Herbal Medicine
Humans
Immunohistochemistry
Neurons
Neuroprotective Agents
Rats
Transferases
Bromodeoxyuridine
Neuroprotective Agents
Transferases