Objectives
Oxidative stress and inflammation have a critical role in the pathogenesis of ischaemic stroke. Alpha‐pinene is a monoterpenoid molecule with anti‐inflammatory and antioxidant properties. The nobility of the present study was to evaluate the neuroprotective effect of α‐pinene in ischaemic stroke.
Methods
Ischaemic stroke was induced by transient middle cerebral artery occlusion followed by 24 h reperfusion in male Wistar rats. Alpha‐pinene (25, 50 and 100 mg/kg, i.p.) was administered in the beginning of reperfusion. Then, the neurobehavioural function, infarct volume, brain oedema, antioxidant enzyme activity and the concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO) and interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) were evaluated by different methods in the brain.
Key findings
Alpha‐pinene (50 and 100 mg/kg) elicited a significant decrease in the brain oedema and infarct size as well as an improvement in the neurobehavioural function. Besides, α‐pinene (100 mg/kg) restored the function of superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase and reduced the concentration of MDA, NO and IL‐6 in the hippocampus, cortex and striatum.
Conclusions
It was ultimately attainted that α‐pinene exerts neuroprotective effect in ischaemic stroke in rat through the restoration of antioxidant enzymes activity, attenuation of lipid peroxidation and reduction of inflammation in the ischaemic brains.