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Effects of DL-3-n-Butylphthalide on Vascular Dementia and Angiogenesis

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Abstract

3-n-Butylphthalide (NBP) is a compound extracted from Chinese celery and is used as an anti-hypertensive herbal medicine for treating stroke patients. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the effects and mechanisms of this compound through in vitro and in vivo experiments. Culture experiments were performed by adding hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to SH-SY5Y cells. From the MTT assay result, enhanced cell survival was observed with DL-NBP treatment, regardless of whether they are added before, simultaneously with or after the addition of H2O2. For the in vivo experiment, Spontaneously Hypertensive rats and Wistar Kyoto control rats with chronic cerebral ischemia, which were induced by bilateral transection of the common carotid arteries, were given DL-NBP. Their performances in the place navigation test and spatial probe test in the Morris Water Maze have significantly improved compared with the DL-NBP untreated animals, indicating an improvement in spatial learning and memory in the ischemic-animals. In addition, in the chick embryonic chorioallantoic membrane assay, angiogenesis was more vigorous under the effects of DL-NBP, together with increased expression of growth factors, VEGF, VEGF-receptor and bFGF. All these suggested that one of the mechanisms of DL-NBP might be ameliorating vascular dementia and promoting angiogenesis.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by China Shijiazhuang Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd. (Project Ref. No. 7010062).

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There is no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Brain Research Centre, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China

    Lihong Zhang, W. M. Chan, Maria S. M. Wai & David T. Yew

  2. Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China

    Lihong Zhang

  3. Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China

    Lanhai Lü

  4. Central Institute of Pharmaceutical Research, Shijiazhuang Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd, Shijiazhuang, China

    Yin Huang

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  1. Lihong Zhang
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Correspondence to David T. Yew.

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Zhang, L., Lü, L., Chan, W.M. et al. Effects of DL-3-n-Butylphthalide on Vascular Dementia and Angiogenesis. Neurochem Res 37, 911–919 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11064-011-0663-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11064-011-0663-3

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