Xu Can, Hang Hang, Li Wanxian, Meng Yan, Zhao Heng, Liu Cuiying, Zhang Rongping
College of Chinese Materia Medica and Yunnan Key Laboratory of Southern Medicine Utilization, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, Kunming, 650500, China.
Beijing Institute of Brain Disorders, Laboratory of Brain Disorders, Joint Innovation Center for Brain Disorders, Ministry of Science and Technology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
Neurochem Res. 2025 Jun 6;50(3):185. doi: 10.1007/s11064-025-04428-5.
Dragon's Blood (DB), a natural resin extracted from Dracaena cochinchinensis, exhibits anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties, but its efficacy and underlying mechanisms in ischemic stroke remain to be fully elucidated. In this study, the neuroprotective effects of DB were evaluated using both transient and permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO and dMCAO) models in mice. DB treatment significantly reduced infarct volume, improved neurological outcomes, and alleviated neuronal apoptosis. Transcriptomic profiling revealed that DB modulated signaling pathways related to neuroinflammation, blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity, and actin cytoskeleton remodeling. These effects were supported by decreased Evans blue leakage, upregulated expression of tight junction proteins (ZO-1 and Claudin-5), and suppressed pro-inflammatory mediators including TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and iNOS, along with increased levels of Arg-1 and IL-10. Moreover, DB downregulated disulfidptosis-related genes such as Flna, Iqgap1, Tln1, and Myh9. Molecular docking further suggested that Loureirin B, a major active constituent of DB, binds strongly to these targets, indicating a potential mechanistic link. These findings suggest that DB confers multi-target neurovascular protection in ischemic stroke by regulating inflammation, preserving BBB function, and inhibiting disulfidptosis, supporting its potential as a candidate for therapeutic development.
龙血（DB）是从柬埔寨龙血树中提取的一种天然树脂，具有抗炎和神经保护特性，但其在缺血性中风中的疗效和潜在机制仍有待充分阐明。在本研究中，使用小鼠短暂性和永久性大脑中动脉闭塞（tMCAO和dMCAO）模型评估了DB的神经保护作用。DB治疗显著减少了梗死体积，改善了神经功能结局，并减轻了神经元凋亡。转录组分析表明，DB调节了与神经炎症、血脑屏障（BBB）完整性和肌动蛋白细胞骨架重塑相关的信号通路。这些作用得到了伊文思蓝渗漏减少、紧密连接蛋白（ZO-1和Claudin-5）表达上调、包括TNF-α、IL-1β、IL-6和iNOS在内的促炎介质受到抑制以及Arg-1和IL-10水平升高的支持。此外，DB下调了与二硫键介导的细胞程序性坏死相关的基因，如Flna、Iqgap1、Tln1和Myh9。分子对接进一步表明，DB的主要活性成分龙血素B与这些靶点强烈结合，表明存在潜在的机制联系。这些发现表明，DB通过调节炎症、维持BBB功能和抑制二硫键介导的细胞程序性坏死，在缺血性中风中提供多靶点神经血管保护，支持其作为治疗开发候选药物的潜力。
