Protective Effect of Total Hedysari Radix Polysaccharide on Brain and Heart of Rats with Cerebral Ischemia-reperfusion Injury

OBJECTIVE To study the protective effect of total Hedysari Radix polysaccharide on brain and heart of rats with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury. METHODS The model of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury was established by suture method in rats. The score of neurological deficit, cerebral index, percentage of cerebral infarction volume and brain water content were observed. Meanwhile, the changes of pathological tissue, heart organ index, oxidation and antioxidant metabolism and changes of DNA structure in myocardial tissue of rats were also detected. RESULTS Total Hedysari Radix polysaccharide(200 mg·kg^-1) could obviously improve the neurological deficit, percentage of cerebral infarction volume, the brain water content caused by cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury. Heart organ index, the rate of heart infarction, the degree of myocardial pathological changes and the level of free radical damage could be also significantly decreased. CONCLUSION Cerebral ischemiareperfusion can not only damage brain tissue, but also hurt the heart in different degrees. Total Hedysari Radix polysaccharid has the protective effect on heart and brain of rats with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury which may be associated with the enhancement of antioxidant capability of rats.