Comparison of the effects of natural, cultivated, and synthetic musk on preventing acute cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats.

OBJECTIVE

To find alternatives to natural musk, this study compared the pharmacological effects of cultivated musk, synthetic musk, and natural musk. The aim is to address the dual challenge of clinical demand for musk-based medicines and the endangered status of the musk deer population.

METHODS

This study aimed to establish a rat model of acute cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury (CI/RI) by creating a middle cerebral artery occlusion and reperfusion model. Methods including enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits, hematoxylin and eosin staining, Nissl staining, immunohistochemistry, and Western blot were employed to compare the extent of brain tissue damage, inflammatory factor levels, and platelet-related indicators in rats treated with musk from different sources (natural musk, cultivated musk, and synthetic musk), thereby evaluating their differences in neuroprotection. Analysis was performed using one-way analysis of variance.

RESULTS

Results indicated that pretreatment with musk demonstrated a positive impact on neurological function by reducing cerebral infarction size, decreasing cerebral edema severity, increasing calcitonin gene related peptide levels, inhibiting 5-hydroxytryptamine release, and preserving the blood-brain barrier integrity. Notably, natural musk exhibited superior antithrombotic properties compared to cultivated and synthetic musk, primarily evidenced by its ability to inhibit platelet aggregation rate, improve cerebral blood perfusion, reduce platelet activating factor receptor protein expression, and lower thromboxane A2 levels. Cultivated musk was observed to elevate catalase and superoxide dismutase levels while concurrently dampening inducible nitric oxide synthase activity, thereby mitigating oxidative damage and also diminishing tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β contents along with Glial fibrillary acidic protein expression, enhancing anti-inflammatory capacity.

CONCLUSION

Musk sourced from diverse origins exhibits profound neuroprotective qualities against acute CI/RI in rats. Particularly, natural musk demonstrated a specific propensity towards reinforcing antithrombotic effects, whereas cultivated musk excelled in augmenting anti-inflammatory and antioxidative defenses, offering efficacious protection against acute CI/RI. The findings bolster the credibility of strategically employing diverse sources of musk as a preventive strategy against ischemic strokes.