Objective: To study the effect of morroniside on the expression of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases in the cortex of rats with ischemia-reperfusion for 7 days.
METHODS: Twenty-five male SD rats were modeled with middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) by the modified Zealonga suture method. In the high-dose group, there were 5 mice in each group. Three hours after modeling, morroniside was administered by gavage at doses of 30, 90, and 270 mg/kg once a day. Western Blotting and Immunofluorencent staining were used to analyze the effect of morroniside on the expression of TIMP in the affected cortex of rats after 7 days of cerebral ischemia and reperfusion.
Results: After 7 days of cerebral ischemia and reperfusion, compared with the sham-operated group, the expression of TIMP protein in the model group was significantly increased (P < 0.01). The expression of TIMP protein was significantly increased in both the high-dose and high-dose groups (270 mg/kg) (P < 0.05; P < 0.01).
Conclusion: Morroniside can up-regulate the expression of TIMP in the cerebral cortex, which is helpful for the protection and repair of the blood-brain barrier after stroke.