A comparative study of the protective effects of Guhong injection and its component on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury based on the oxidation index.

Guhong injection (GHI), a compound preparation of Chinese and Western medicine, is composed of safflower water extract and aceglutamide, and has a certain therapeutic effect on cerebral ischemia diseases. In this study, we investigated and compared the protective effects of GHI, Honghua injection (HHI), and aceglutamide (ACG) on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats randomly assigned to the following 5 groups: Sham, MCAO, MCAO + GHI, MCAO + HHI, and MCAO + ACG. The results revealed that GHI, HHI, and ACG improved neurological functions and reduced the infarct volume, the contents of HIF-1α, PKC, and EPO, and the expression of NOX-4 and HIF-1α mRNA. The protein expression of HIF-1α and iNOS treated with GHI, HHI, and ACG was decreased, while that of PHD2 was increased. Meanwhile, the BrdU+/NeuN+ cell counts of SGZ and SVZ areas in the brain tissues of the GHI, HHI, and ACG groups were greater than those of the MCAO rats. Thus, GHI, HHI, and ACG can confer protection against cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury, possibly through antioxidation. Our research findings may provide evidence for the effectiveness of the combination of traditional Chinese and Western medicine.