“Tianma” (Gastrodia) and “gouteng” (Uncaria) are both widely used to treat cerebral ischemia. At the same time, “ezhu” (Curcuma longa) or turmeric, is derived from the dried roots of C. longa. It is a polyphenol known for
its anti-inflammatory effects and its promotion of blood vessel endothelial
function. This study explored the neuroprotective effects of a water extract of
“tianma”, “gouteng”, and “ezhu” against ischemic
injury. Flow cytometry analysis showed that
Gastrodia, Uncaria, and Curcuma reduced the
proportion of apoptotic cells in CoCl induced B35 (P = 0.0027) and
SH-SY5Y (P = 0.0006) cell sample relative to the respective control
group. Western blot indicated that Gastrodia, Uncaria, and
Curcuma upregulated the expression of Bcl-2 and
inversely downregulated Bax and Caspase-3 (P 0.001). The infarct
volume observed in the Gastrodia, Uncaria, and
Curcuma group was also decreased compared with the control group
(P 0.05). Immunofluorescence detection revealed a
lower expression of Caspase-7 in the Gastrodia, Uncaria, and
Curcuma group than in the control group, while expression was
negligible in the sham group. Gastrodia, Uncaria, and
Curcuma confer neuroprotective effects in CoCl induced
B35/SH-SY5Y cells and a rat model of ischemia by way of its anti-apoptotic
effects.
