Studies On The Inhibitory Effect Of 3-n-butylphthalide On Neuronal Apoptosis Induced By Cerebral Ischemia And Its Action Mechanisms

The incidence of stroke lies below that of cancer and myocardial infarction. It is imperative for scientists to clarify the pathophysiological mechanisms of cerebral ischemia and try to find practical and efficient drugs. Apoptosis is believed to be the main cause of delayed neuronal death (DND) after stroke, and it most likely plays a critical role in the penumbra located in the boundary zone of the cerebral infarts. Thus the penumbra and DND are the current targets in stroke treatment studies. 3-n-butylphalide (NBP) is an anti-cerebral ischemic novel drug. The previous studies showed that NBP could reduce cerebral infarction volume following middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in rats. To further study molecular mechanisms of this effect of NBP, we hypothesized that the effect of NBP on reduction of cerebral infarction size after MCAO is associated with its inhibition of neuronal apoptosis induced by cerebral ischemia. The aim of the present study is to investigate if NBP inhibits neuronal apoptosis following MCAO. If yes, what are possible mechanisms of intervention of NBP. The main results are as follows:...