Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To investigate the protective effect of neuroprotection against transient focal cerebral ischemia of the extract from Tianma(Rhizoma Gastrodiae) and the possible mechanisms underlying the action.METHODS: Cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury was induced through middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO). Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups: sham-operated,ischemia-reperfusion model, 102.6 mg/kg extract treated and 11.4 mg/kg extract treated groups. The extract was prepared from gastrodia elata with ethyl acetate. The effect of the extract tested on rat neurological de fi cits and Cerebral index, cerebral infarct volume, brain injury, terminal dexynucleotidyl transferase-mediated d UTP nick end labeling(TUNEL) and B-cell lymphoma-2(Bcl-2) positive cells.RESULTS: The extract was able to reduce neurological scores, cerebral index and cerebral infarction rate. The brain injury was also relieved by the extract. The results of immunofluorescence staining analysis indicated that the extract increased the expression of Bcl-2 and reduced TUNEL-positive cells significantly in the extract treated groups.CONCLUSION: These results suggested that the extract relieved ischemic injury induced by transient focal cerebral ischemia in rats, and this neuroprotective effect might be partially due to the attenuated apoptosis pathway.

Key words: Ethyl acetate, Gastrodia, Neuroprotective agents, Reperfusion injury, Apoptosis