Apigenin attenuates oxidative stress and neuronal apoptosis in early brain injury following subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Apigenin (API) is a naturally occurring plant flavone that exhibits powerful antioxidant and antiapoptosis. Oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of early brain injury (EBI) following subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). The potential anti-oxidative and anti-apoptosis effects of API on EBI following SAH, however, have not been elucidated. The aim of this study was to assess whether API alleviates EBI after SAH via its anti-oxidative and anti-apoptotic effects. The endovascular puncture model was used to induce SAH and all the rats were subsequently sacrificed at 24h after SAH. Our data demonstrated that administration of API could significantly alleviate EBI (including neurological deficiency, brain edema, blood-brain barrier permeability, and cortical cell apoptosis) after SAH in rats. Meanwhile, API treatment reduced the reactive oxygen species (ROS) level and the concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA) and myeloperoxidase (MPO), elevated the ratio of glutathione (GSH) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG), and increased the amount of super-oxide dismutase (SOD) and hydrogen peroxide in brain cortex at 24h following SAH. Moreover, API treatment inhibited SAH-induced the expression of Bax and caspase-3, significantly reduced neuronal apoptosis. Collectively, API exerts its neuroprotective effect likely through the dual activities of anti-oxidation and anti-apoptosis, at least partly. These data provide a basic platform to consider API may be safely used as a potential drug for treatment of SAH.