The neuroprotective effects of BNG-1: a new formulation of traditional Chinese medicines for stroke.

BNG-1, a novel mixture of traditional Chinese medicines with a long history in the treatment of stroke, exhibited acute neuroprotection effect on rats with middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Anti-ischemic effects were seen in both animals receiving BNG-1 before the ischemic insult as well as in animals receiving the drug formulation after surgical occlusion of the artery. Anti-thrombic activity was seen in vitro to inhibit arachidonic acid-induced platelet aggregation and in vivo to prolong bleeding time in mice. BNG-1 was also found to inhibit several phosphodiesterase (PDE) isoforms with potency order of the following rank: PDE 1 > PDE 3 > PDE 6 > PDE 2 > PDE 4 > PDE 5. Other pre-clinical results and emerging clinical data coupled with the present findings suggest that BNG-1 may be a safe and effective therapy for both the prevention and treatment of cerebral stroke. Moreover, the fundamental cellular mechanism underlying its therapeutic effects may result from phosphodiesterase inhibition.

The thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) hypothesis of homeostatic regulation: implications for TRH-based therapeutics.

The functions of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) in the central nervous system (CNS) can be conceptualized as performed by four anatomically distinct components that together comprise a general TRH homeostatic system. These components are 1) the hypothalamic-hypophysiotropic neuroendocrine system, 2) the brainstem/midbrain/spinal cord system, 3) the limbic/cortical system, and 4) the chronobiological system. We propose that the main neurobiological function of TRH is to promote homeostasis, accomplished through neuronal mechanisms resident in these four integrated systems. This hypothesis offers a unifying basis for understanding the myriad actions of TRH and TRH-related drugs already demonstrated in animals and humans. It is consistent with the traditional role of TRH as a regulator of metabolic homeostasis. An appreciation of the global function of TRH to modulate and normalize CNS activity, along with an appreciation of the inherent limitations of TRH itself as a therapeutic agent, leads to rational expectations of therapeutic benefit from metabolically stable TRH-mimetic drugs in a remarkably broad spectrum of clinical situations, both as monotherapy and as an adjunct to other therapeutic agents. The actions of TRH are numerous and varied. This has been viewed in the past as a conceptual and practical impediment to the development of TRH analogs. Herein, we alternatively propose that these manifold actions should be considered as a rational and positive impetus to the development of TRH-based drugs with the potential for unique and widespread applicability in human illness.