Scutellaria baicalensis attenuates blood-brain barrier disruption after intracerebral hemorrhage in rats.

Disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) contributes to the inflammatory response and edema formation in the brain, exacerbating brain damage. The present study evaluated the effects of Scutellaria baicalensis (SR) water extracts on BBB disruption after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) in rats. ICH was induced by stereotaxic intrastriatal injection of bacterial type VII collagenase, and SR was administrated orally three times (50 mg/ml/kg) during the 48 h after ICH onset. SR treatment significantly reduced the degree of (1) hemorrhage volume and edema percentage of the ipsilateral hemisphere, (2) brain water content, (3) MPO-positive neutrophil infiltration in the peri-hematoma, and (4) BBB permeability measured by Evans blue leakage. In addition, expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9, MMP-12, and tissue inhibitor of MMPs (TIMP)-1 were investigated with immunohistochemistry. SR treatment reduced MMP-9 and MMP-12 expression in the peri-hematoma after ICH. These results indicate that SR attenuates the BBB disruption through anti-inflammatory effects and suppression of MMP expression. These findings provide a pharmacological basis for the use of SR in the treatment of the BBB disruption following stroke and trauma.

Increased new bone formation with a surface magnesium-incorporated deproteinized porcine bone substitute in rabbit calvarial defects.

This study investigated the effects of magnesium ion (Mg) incorporation into the surface of deproteinized porcine cancellous bone in the bone healing of rabbit calvarial defects with the expectation of utilizing the integrin-ligand binding enhancement effect of Mg, and compared its bone healing capacity with that of untreated porcine cancellous bone and deproteinized bovine bone (Bio-Oss). Hydrothermal treatment was performed to produce Mg-incorporated porcine bone using an alkaline Mg-containing solution. The surface morphology and chemical composition of the samples were investigated using scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Defects 7 mm in diameter were created in the calvaria of 14 adult male New Zealand White rabbits and were filled with (1) untreated porcine bone (PB), (2) Bio-Oss, and (3) Mg-containing porcine bone (MG). The percentage of newly formed bone (NB%) was evaluated histomorphometrically at 2 and 4 weeks after implantation. Hydrothermal treatment resulted in a Mg-containing surface in porcine bone covered with nanostructures ~100 nm in size. The MG group supported better new bone formation compared with the other groups. Osteoconductive new bone formation was observed in the central defect area in the MG group at an early healing time-point. Histomorphometric analysis revealed significantly greater NB% in the MG group when compared with the untreated PB and Bio-Oss groups at 4 weeks (p < 0.05). The Mg-incorporated porcine bone with surface nanostructures achieved rapid new bone formation in the osseous defects of rabbit calvaria compared with untreated xenografts of porcine and bovine origin.