[Huangjiao granules ameliorate brain injury in rats with cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury by stimulating PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway].

Objective To investigate the protective effect of Huangjiao granules on rats with cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury and the effect on phosphoinositide-3 kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/AKT/mTOR) signaling pathway. Methods The rat models of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury were established by suture method and treated with Huangjiao granules. ZeaLonga scoring was used to evaluate the neurological function of rats. The percentage of cerebral infarction was detected by triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining. The pathological changes of brain tissues were observed by HE staining. The levels of interleukin 10 (IL-10), IL-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in the brain tissues were detected by ELISA. The expression levels of PI3K, AKT, phosphorylated AKT (p-AKT), mTOR and phosphorylated mTOR (p-mTOR) proteins were detected by Western blot analysis. Results Huangjiao granules could reduce the degree of neurological deficits, decrease the percentage of cerebral infarction, and lessen brain tissue pathological damage in the model rats. The expressions of IL-10, PI3K, p-AKT and p-mTOR in the brain tissues of the model rats were significantly up-regulated by Huangjiao granules, but the expressions of IL-1β and TNF-α in the brain tissues of the model rats were significantly down-regulated by Huangjiao granules. Conclusion The protective effect of Huangjiao granules on rat models of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury may be related to the activation of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.