Graduate Institute of Chinese Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan.
School of Chinese Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan.
Phytomedicine. 2014 May 15;21(6):893-900. doi: 10.1016/j.phymed.2014.01.011. Epub 2014 Mar 11.
Uncaria rhynchophylla (UR) has been used for the treatment of convulsions and epilepsy in traditional Chinese medicine. This study reported the major anti-convulsive signaling pathways and effective targets of UR and rhynchophylline (RP) using genomic and immunohistochemical studies. Epileptic seizure model was established by intraperitoneal injection of kainic acid (KA) in rats. Electroencephalogram and electromyogram recordings indicated that UR and RP improved KA-induced epileptic seizures. Toll-like receptor (TLR) and neurotrophin signaling pathways were regulated by UR in both cortex and hippocampus of KA-treated rats. KA upregulated the expression levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and brain-derived neurotrophin factor (BDNF), which were involved in TLR and neurotrophin signaling pathways, respectively. However, UR and RP downregulated the KA-induced IL-1β and BDNF gene expressions. Our findings suggested that UR and RP exhibited anti-convulsive effects in KA-induced rats via the regulation of TLR and neurotrophin signaling pathways, and the subsequent inhibition of IL-1β and BDNF gene expressions.
钩藤（UR）在传统中药中被用于治疗惊厥和癫痫。本研究通过基因组和免疫组织化学研究报告了 UR 和钩藤碱（RP）的主要抗惊厥信号通路和有效靶点。通过腹腔注射海人酸（KA）在大鼠中建立癫痫发作模型。脑电图和肌电图记录表明，UR 和 RP 改善了 KA 诱导的癫痫发作。UR 在 KA 处理大鼠的皮质和海马中调节 Toll 样受体（TLR）和神经营养因子信号通路。KA 上调了白细胞介素 1β（IL-1β）和脑源性神经营养因子（BDNF）的表达水平，它们分别参与 TLR 和神经营养因子信号通路。然而，UR 和 RP 下调了 KA 诱导的 IL-1β 和 BDNF 基因表达。我们的研究结果表明，UR 和 RP 通过调节 TLR 和神经营养因子信号通路，随后抑制 IL-1β 和 BDNF 基因表达，在 KA 诱导的大鼠中表现出抗惊厥作用。
