Abstract
This study explored protective effects of Houshiheisan and its compound prescription of wind-dispelling drugs and deficiency-nourishing drugs on cerebral ischemia in terms of astrocyte activation and inflammatory factor expression. Results suggested that Houshiheisan lessened neuronal degeneration in the corpus striatum on the ischemic side of rats following cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury, contributed to astrocyte activation and glial fibrillary acidic protein expression in the corpus striatum and decreased the levels of interleukin-2, interleukin-6, interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α. Factor analysis results demonstrated that deficiency-nourishing drugs were more beneficial in protecting neurons and upregulating glial fibrillary acidic protein expression than wind-dispelling drugs. However, wind-dispelling drugs were more effective in increasing the number of glial fibrillary acidic protein-positive cells and reducing inflammatory factor expression than deficiency-nourishing drugs. These indicate that different ingredients of Houshiheisan suppress cerebral ischemic injury by promoting astrocyte activation and diminishing inflammatory factor expression.