Effect of oxymatrine on hypoxic-ischemic brain injury in neonatal rats


 Purpose: To study the influence of oxymatrine on hypoxic-ischemic brain injury (HIBI) in neonatal rats.
 Methods: Newborn SPF Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly assigned to 3 groups (10 rats/group): control, HIBI and groups. Neurobehavioral latency each rat was determined after 48 h treatment, pathological changes cerebral cortex evaluated using H&E staining. Hippocampal neurons prepared from tissue grouped treated as per above vivo study. Cell survival neuronal apoptotic measured with CCK-8 flow cytometric analysis, respectively, while protein expressions bcl-2, mcl-1, bax, caspase-3, PI3K, p- Akt, p-Akt, GSK3β p-GSK3β Western blotting.
 Results: Treatment significantly reduced their neurobehavioral latencies (reflex, cliff avoidance reflex, negative reflex (latencies), but repaired HIBI-induced histological damage (p < 0.05). It also enhanced hippocampal neurons, reducing apoptosis Moreover, upregulated p-PI3K, AKT, p-AKT, expressions, i downregulated bax caspase-3 0.05).
 Conclusion: These results indicate that reduces alleviates via regulation proteins associated PI3K/Akt/GSK3β signal pathway. This finding provides a new research direction novel botanical monomers for treating HIBI.