[Effect of Buyang Huanwu decoction on interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α expression in rats after cerebral infarction].

Objective To explore the effect of Buyang Huanwu decoction (BYHWD, 补阳还五汤) on pro-inflammatory cytokines in rats after focal cerebral infarction. Methods Adult Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into following groups: normal control, sham, model, BYHWD. The rats in latter three groups were subdivided into subgroups of 1, 3, and 7 days after medication, with 5 rats in each group. The right side focal cerebral infarction model was reproduced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO).The rats in BYHWD group were gavaged with BYHWD of 10 ml/kg (14.2 g/kg, once a day) 2 hours after operation. Animals were sacrificed at corresponding time points. The protein and mRNA expression of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results There were low levels expression of IL-1β and TNF-α protein and mRNA in normal control group and the sham group. After cerebral infarction, the protein and mRNA expression of IL-1β and TNF-α began to increase in rats 1 day after the insult, and the protein and mRNA expression of IL-1β reached the peak on 3rd day, and then lowered, and the protein and mRNA expression of TNF-α reached the peak on 7th day.Compared with model group on 1st, 3rd and 7th day, the protein expression of IL-1β (ng/L: 90. 290±8. 693 vs. 102. 556±13. 934 on 1st day, 129. 632±11. 050 vs. 150. 117±8. 552 on 3rd day, 66. 185±9. 020 vs.91. 362 ± 9. 901 on 7th day) and TNF-α (ng/L: 210. 341 ± 19. 247 vs. 236. 887 ± 20. 137 on 1st day,267. 503±21. 006 vs. 322. 659± 15. 068 on 3rd day, 299. 637± 17. 717 vs. 386. 678± 16. 297 on 7th day),and mRNA expression of IL-1β (1 day: 0. 54±0. 09 vs. 0. 64±0. 11, 3 days: 0. 80±0. 06 vs. 0. 89±0. 07,7 days: 0. 70±0. 09 vs. 0. 78±0. 08) and TNF-α (1 day: 0. 64±0. 09 vs. 0. 73±0. 11, 3 days: 0. 74±0. 13 vs. 0. 85± 0.07, 7 days: 0. 82± 0. 07 vs. 0. 93 ± 0. 08], were all decreased obviously in BYHWD group (P＜0. 05 or P ＜ 0. 01 ). Conclusion BYHWD could reduce the protein and mRNA expressions of IL-1β and TNF-α in levels after cerebral infarction. The result shows that it protects brain by modulating expression of pro-inflammatory mediators. Key words: Buyang Huanwu decoction; Cerebral infarction; Interleukin-1β; Tumor necrosis factor-α