AIM To observe the long-term cerebroprotective effects of Buyang Huanwu decoction BYHWD on the sensorimotor function and
brain damage after focal cerebral ischemia in rats. METHODS The experiment was carried out in the Experimental Animal Center of Zhejiang College of Traditional Chinese Medicine between June and August 2005.①Totally 33 healthy male SD rats were randomly divided into 3 groups BYHWD group n=12 ischemia group n=11 and sham-operated group n=10. The rat models of middle cerebral artery occlusion MCAO in the former two groups were induced by the filament method while only blood vessels were detached without filament in the sham-operated group. The administration of BYHWD 13.3 g/kg consisted of 120 g astragalus root 6 g Chinese angelica 4.5 g szechwan lovge rhizome 4.5 g red peony root 3 g earth-worm 3 g safflower and 3 g peach seed all the herbs were supported and evaluated by the Outpatient Department Affiliated to Zhejiang College of Traditional Chinese Medicine and fried once for 40 minutes totally for twice and concentrated into 2 g/mL crude drug with the prescription from Yilin Gaicuo was taken orally in the BYHWD group while the saline of same dose were given in other groups once a day from day 7 before ischemia to day 14 after ischemia.②The limb-placing test including 7 procedures score standard 2 as normal 1 as delayed for 2 seconds and/or incomplete0 as no response was used to evaluate the response of forelimb and hindlimb to the taction and proprioception at 1-7 10 14 21 and 28 days after ischemia. The motor coordination and integrated defect were detected by
crossrail-walking test the rats were stimulated by the noise to pass the crossrail score standard 0 as not staying on the crossrail 1 as staying on the crossrail without moving 2 as trying to pass but felled 3 as passing the crossrail but the number of injured hindlimb slipping times > 50% 4 as slipping more than once but < 50% 5 as slipping only once 6 as passing successfully. The adhesive tape exposed test score standard 1 as ≤ 10 seconds2 as 10-19 seconds 3 as 20-29 seconds 4 as 30-39 seconds5 as 40-49 seconds 6 as 50-59 seconds7 as ≥ 60 secondswas performed to measure the somesthesia function. Two medical tapes of same volume were pasted to the ventral side of arm in forelimb respectively and taken as the tactile stimulation to record the latent period of exposing tapes.③At day 29 after ischemia the rats were killed to take out the brain and make coronal freezing section. Total infarcted volumes were detected by toluidine blue staining.④The difference between the limb-place test and crossrail-walking test was compared by Nonparametric Mann-Whitney U test while the difference between the adhesive tape exposed test and infarcted area was compared by the oneway analysis of variance. RESULTS Totally 33 rats were involved in the analysis.①The score of limb-placing test It was
significantly lower in the ischemia group than in sham-operated group at days 1-101421 and 28 after ischemia u=0-9P < 0.01. The score was higher in the BYHWD group than in the control group at days 1-7 10 and 14 after ischemia u=4.5-35P < 0.05-0.01. ②The score of crossrail-walking test The score was significantly lower in the ischemia group than in the sham-operated group at 1-7 days after ischemia u=0-10P < 0.05-0.01. Compared with the ischemia group the performance of BYHWD treated rats significantly improved at 1-3 days after ischemia u=26.5-31P < 0.05. ③The score of adhesive tape exposed test At 171421 and 28 days after ischemia the score in the ischemia group was higher than that in sham-operated group t=2.56-21.91P < 0.05-0.01. Compared with the ischemia group the score of BYHWD treated rats was significantly lowered at 1714 and 21 days after ischemia t=2.36-3.88P < 0.05-0.01. ④Infarcted volume Brain infarcted volume was significantly lower in the BYHWD group than in the control group at 29 days a