Effects of Buchang Naoxintong on cognitive function and apoptosis of cranial nerve cell in vascular dementia rats induced by chronic ischemia

Objective To explore the effects of Buchang Naoxintong on cognitive function and apoptosis of cranial nerve cells in vascular dementia rats induced by chronic ischemia and their mechanisms.Methods The permanent occlusion of bilateral common carotid arteries in Wistar rats was adopted to set up the chronic fore-brain ischemia model.Model rats were randomly divided into model control groups and drug groups at 1 and 2 month,unoperated Wistar rats were divided into normol control groups at 1 and 2 month,six rats in each group.The cognitive function was assessed by Morris water labyrinth.The morphologic changes of cranial nerve cells were observed with HE staining.The apoptosis was examined by methods of TUNEL,the expression of Bcl-2 protein was detected by immnunohistochemistry method.Results Compared with model control group,escape incubation periods in drug group at 1 and 2 month were shorter(P0.01);the ischemia injury of the neurons of hippocampus CA1 was lighter,and the ischemia injury in drug group at 2 month was more serious than that at 1 month.The apoptotic rate of never cells in rats in drug group was lower than that in model group(P0.05).The Bcl-2 protein expression in the rats treated with Buchang Naoxintong was lower than that in model group(P0.05).Conclusion Buchang Naoxintong can increase the expression the Bcl-2 protein,restrain apoptosis of the cranial nerve cells and cure cognitive dysfunction induced by chronic ischemia.