Change Of Nuclear Factor KappaB And The Impact Of Puerarin On Cerebral Ischemia/reperfusion In Rats

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the activation of Nuclear Factor kappaB(NF-KB) and the influence of Puerarin on it after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion in rats. METHODS: Cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury was induced by 90min of middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion and followed by 2, 6, 12, 24, 72h reperfusion. Puerarin or saline was ip injected 1h before MCA occlusion and per-six hour post-reperfusion. The infarct volume were determined by TTC stain. Level of Nuclear Factor kappaB P65 subunit was determined by immunohistochemistry and western blot. RESULTS: Immunohistochemistry revealed translocation of Nuclear Factor kappaB P65 from plasma to nucleus near the ischemic infarct area. A time course of Nuclear Factor kappaB induction in brain showed that NF-kB P65 subunit obviously increased at 6h, peaked at 24 h and then decreased by 72h post-reperfusion. Puerarin decreased level of Nuclear Factor kappaB at 24, 72h post-reperfusion. There was a decrease trend in brain infarct volume between Puerarin and control. CONCLUSION: Nuclear factor kappaB was translocated and its level was increased after ischemia-reperfusion. Puerarin maybe attenuateischemia-reperfusion injury through inhibition of Nuclear Factor kappaB activation.