Inhibitory effect of icariin on expression of myelin inhibitory factors in the central nervous system of rats with focal cerebral ischemia

Icariin,themajoractivecomponentofChinesemedicinalherbepimediumbrevicornummaxim,isusedwidelyintraditionalChinesemedicineforthetreatmentofneurologicaldiseases.However,theeffectsoficariinonmyelininhibitoryfactorsareasyetunclear.Inthepresentstudy,administrationoficariinat20mg/kgshowedamarkedreductioninneurologicaldeficitofmiddlecerebralarteryocclusionrats.Icariinexhibitedbetterinhibitoryeffectsonmyelininhibitoryfactors:Nogo-A,myelin-associatedglycoproteinandoligodendrocytemyelinglycoproteininischemiaregionsofmiddlecerebralarteryocclusionratscomparedwithmonosialotetrahexosylganglioside.Theseresultsindicatethaticariinexhibitspotentinhibitoryeffectsonexpressionofmyelininhibitorsaftermiddlecerebralarteryocclusion-inducedfocalcerebralischemiainvivo.Thiseffectmaybemediated,atleastinpart,bytheinhibitionofbothNogo-A,myelin-associatedglycoproteinandoligodendrocytemyelinglycoproteinactivation,followedbytheenhancementofaxonalsproutingandregeneration,resultinginneurologicalfunctionalrecovery.