RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To study effect of triptolide (TL) on neuronal apoptosis in cerebral tissue of rat after ischemia-reperfusion. METHOD: Triptolide at dose 0.2 or 0.4 mg x kg(-1) was intraperitoneally injected once a day for 4 d. The focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion model was established with thread embolism in middle artery before triptolide injection on the fourth day. Neurological deficit score of rats was evaluated; and immunohistochemical techniques were used to count positive cells of express of MPO and TUNEL in cerebraltissue. RESULT: Compared with the control group, the deficit of neural function was significantly improved, and the number of infiltrate of neutrophil and neuronal apoptosis in cerebral tissue was remarkably reduced in two TL-treated groups. CONCLUSION: The results suggested that TL can inhibit infiltration of neutrophil and decrease the degree of neuronal apoptosis in cerebral tissue.