Neuroprotective effects of Huang-Lian-Jie-Du-Decoction on ischemic stroke rats revealed by (1)H NMR metabolomics approach

Huang-Lian-Jie-Du-Decoction (HLJDD) is a representative antipyretic and detoxifying recipe in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). This formula and its component herbs like Radix Scutellariae, Fructus Gardeniae show a variety of neuroprotective activities and have been used for the treatment of nervous system diseases including stroke. To comprehensively and holistically assess its therapeutic effect on ischemic stroke, a novel integrative metabolomics approach was applied. A rat ischemic stroke model was established by introduction of transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) followed by reperfusion. The neurological deficit, cerebral infarct size and morphological abnormality were evaluated. An NMR technique combined with appropriate statistical analyses was then performed to explore the metabonomic profiles of serum and brain tissue extracts. Pattern analysis of the (1)H NMR data disclosed that HLJDD could relieve stroke rats suffering from the ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury by ameliorating the disturbance in energy metabolism, membrane and mitochondrial metabolism, neurotransmitter and amino acid metabolism, alleviating the oxidative stress from reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the inflammatory damage, and recovering the destructed osmoregulation.