Neuroprotective effect ofShenqi Fuzheng injection pretreatment in aged rats with cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury

Shenqi Fuzheng injection is extracted from the Chinese herbsRadix Astragali andRadix Codonopsis. The aim of the present study was to investigate the neuroprotective effects of Shenqi Fuzheng injection in cerebral ischemia and reperfusion. Aged rats (20–22 months) were divided into three groups: sham, model, and treatment.Shenqi Fuzheng injection or saline (40 mL/kg) was injected into the tail vein daily for 1 week, after which a cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury model was established. Compared with model rats that received saline, rats in the treatment group had smaller infarct volumes, lower brain water and malondialdehyde content, lower brain Ca2+levels, lower ac-tivities of serum lactate dehydrogenase and creatine kinase, and higher superoxide dismutase activity. In addition, the treatment group showed less damage to the brain tissue ultrastructure and better neurological function. Our ifndings indicate thatShenqi Fuzheng injec-tion exerts neuroprotective effects in aged rats with cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury, and that the underlying mechanism relies on oxygen free radical scavenging and inhibition of brain Ca2+ accumulation.