OBJECTIVETo determine effects and mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine serial "Huoxuehuayu" (activating blood flow and removing blood stasis) prescriptions on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats.

METHODSFocal cerebral ischemia was induced by 60 min of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and followed by 3 d reperfusion. Drugs were orally administered 1 h before MCAO and 4 h after reperfusion and the following 2 d. The neurological scores were evaluated 3 d after reperfusion. Then the animals were sacrificed, the infarct volumes, right and left areas of brain section, the pathologic changes and the normal neurons in hippocampal CA1 and cortex were determined by using an image analyzer. Nitric oxide synthase (NOS), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities and malondialdehyde (MDA) content in brain tissue were evaluated by spectrophotography. The expression of NMDA R1 subunit (NR1) and endothelial NOS (eNOS) was determined by immunoblotting technique.

RESULTSerial "Huoxuehuayu" prescriptions and nimodipine improved neuronal dysfunction, and reduced infarct size and brain edema. Serial Huoxuehuayu prescriptions and nimodipine reduced MDA content and NOS activity, and increased SOD activity. Western blotting analysis demonstrated induction of NR1.

CONCLUSIONSerial Huoxuehuayu prescriptions have a protective effect on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury by reducing NOS activity, MDA content, expression of NR1 and increasing SOD activity.