Lab Anim Res.  2011 Mar;27(1):67-71. 10.5625/lar.2011.27.1.67.

Neuroprotection of Alpinia katsumadai Seed Extract against Neuronal Damage in the Ischemic Gerbil Hippocampus is Linked to Altered Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor

• Li H
• Park JH
• Yan B
• Yoo KY
• Lee CH
• Choi JH
• Hwang IK
• Won MH

• KMID: 2391862
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5625/lar.2011.27.1.67

Abstract

The extract of Alpinia katsumadai, a member of the family Zingiberaceae, shows anti-inflammatory effects and antioxidant activity. We observed the neuroprotective effects of the extract from Alpinia katsumadai seed (EAKS) against ischemic damage in gerbils administered oral EAKS (25, and 50 mg/kg) once a day for 7 days before transient cerebral ischemia. In the 50 mg/kg EAKS-treated ischemia group, about 67% of neurons in the hippocampal CA1 region (CA1) survived after ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) based on cresyl violet staining. We observed that EAKS treatment significantly maintained brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) immunoreactivity in the ischemic CA1 region after I/R. In addition, protein levels of BDNF in the 50 mg/kg EAKS-treated ischemia group were much higher than those in the vehicle-treated ischemia group after I/R. These findings indicate that repeated supplementation of EAKS protects neurons from ischemic damage, such that BDNF is distinctively maintained in ischemic areas.

Keyword

Transient cerebral ischemia; Zingiberaceae; neuroprotection; brain-derived neurotrophic factor

MeSH Terms

Alpinia
Benzoxazines
Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor
CA1 Region, Hippocampal
Gerbillinae
Hippocampus
Humans
Ischemia
Ischemic Attack, Transient
Neurons
Neuroprotective Agents
Seeds
Viola
Zingiberaceae
Benzoxazines
Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor
Neuroprotective Agents

Figure

• 

  Figure 1 Cresyl violet staining in the hippocampus of sham (A, E), vehicle-ischemia (B, F), 25 mg EAKS-ischemia (C, G) and 50 mg EAKS-ischemia (D, H) group at 4 days post-ischemia. In the vehicle-ischemia and 25 mg EKAS-ischemia groups, only a few neurons in CA1 region (asterisk) are stained; in the 50 mg EAKS-ischemia group, many cresyl violet-positive cells are found. CA1, cornu ammonis 1; CA2/3, cornu ammonis 2/3; DG, dentate gyrus; SO, stratum oriens; SP, stratum pyramidale; SR, stratum radiatum. Scale bar=400 µm (A, B, C and D), 50 ìm (E, F, G and H). I: Relative number of cresyl violet-positive neurons in each group (n=7 per group; *P<0.05, significantly different from the sham group). Bars indicate mean±SD.

• 

  Figure 2 Immunohistochemistry for BDNF in the CA1 region in the sham (A, B), vehicle-ischemia and 50 mg EAKS-ischemia groups at 3 hours (C, D), 12 hours (E, F), 2 days (G, H) and 4 days (I, J) post-ischemia. BDNF immunoreactivity in the stratum pyramidale (SP) is gradually decreased with time; however, in the EAKS-ischemia group, BDNF immunoreactivity (asterisk) is maintained in pyramidal cells. SO, stratum oriens; SR, stratum radiatum. Scale bar=50 µm.

• 

  Figure 3 Western blot analysis of BDNF in the CA1 region of the sham, vehicle-ischemia and 50 mg EAKS-ischemia groups. Relative optical density (ROD) as a percentage of the immunoblot band is presented (n=5 per group; *P<0.05, significantly different from the sham group; #P<0.05, significantly different from the preceding group; †P<0.05, significantly different from the vehicle-ischemia group). Bars indicate mean±SD.

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