Protective effects of alkaloid extract from Leonurus heterophyllus on cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury by middle cerebral ischemic injury (MCAO) in rats

The neuronal damage following cerebral ischemia is a serious risk to stroke patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the neuroprotective effects of alkaloid extract from Leonurus heterophyllus (LHAE) on cerebral ischemic injury. After 24h of reperfusion following ischemia for 2h induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), some rats were intraperitoneally administered different doses of LHAE (3.6, 7.2, 14.4mg/kg, respectively). Neurological examination was measured in all animals. Infarct volume, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, levels of nitrate/nitrite metabolite (NO) and apoptosis ratio of nerve fiber in brain were determined. The results showed that LHAE at 7.2mg/kg or 14.4mg/kg exerted significantly decreasing neurological deficit scores and reducing the infarct volume on rats with focal cerebral ischemic injury (p