Exploring the mechanism of Chaihujia Longgu Muli decoction in the treatment of epilepsy in rats based on the RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway.

Gang Feng, Xianghua Liu, Baoying Wang, Ruixing Li, Yaxin Chang, Nannan Guo, Yawei Li, Tiantian Chen, Bingxiang Ma

Molecular biology reports 2023 Apr

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The Chinese herbal formula Chaihujia Longgu Muli Decoction (CD) has a good antiepileptic effect, but its mechanisms remain unclear. Therefore, in this study we explored the molecular mechanisms of CD against epilepsy. Twelve-day-old SD rats were randomly divided into a normal group, model group, valproic acid group, and CD high, medium, and low groups. Except for the normal group, the other groups were given an intraperitoneal injection of pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) to establish epilepsy models, and the Racine score was applied for model judgment. After 14 consecutive days of dosing, the Morris water maze test was performed. Then, hippocampal Nissl staining and immunofluorescence staining were performed, and synaptic ultrastructure was observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway proteins were detected. In PTZ model rats, the passing times were reduced, and the escape latency was prolonged in the Morris water maze test. Nissl staining showed that some hippocampal neurons swelled and ruptured, Nissl bodies in the cytoplasm were significantly reduced, and neurons were lost. Immunofluorescence detection revealed that the expression of PSD95 and SYP was significantly reduced. Electron microscopy results revealed that the number of synapses in hippocampal neurons was significantly reduced and the postsynaptic membrane length was significantly reduced. Western blot analysis showed that the RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway was activated, while SYP, SPD95, and PTEN expression was significantly decreased. After treatment with CD, neurobehavioral abnormalities and neuronal damage caused by epileptic seizures were improved. CD exerted an antiepileptic effect by inhibiting the activation of the RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway. © 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.

Citation

Gang Feng, Xianghua Liu, Baoying Wang, Ruixing Li, Yaxin Chang, Nannan Guo, Yawei Li, Tiantian Chen, Bingxiang Ma. Exploring the mechanism of Chaihujia Longgu Muli decoction in the treatment of epilepsy in rats based on the RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway. Molecular biology reports. 2023 Apr;50(4):3389-3399