Effect of polysaccharides of theEuphoria longan(Lour.) Steud on inflammatory response induced by focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats

Stroke induces cerebral lesions through the combined action of multiple mechanisms, the inflammatory response on the damage of cerebral tissues after ischemia has become a focus. The Euphoria longan (Lour.) Steud is a fruit and traditional Chinese medicine, with the function of anti-inflammatory and immune regulation. In the present experiments, we investigate the mechanisms underlying the inhibitory effects of polysaccharides of the E. longan (Lour.) Steud on inflammatory responses induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in rats. Compared with model group, polysaccharides of the E. longan (Lour.) Steud could obviously reduce the neurological function score, the brain water content, the infract volume, the myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, the tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) level. Polysaccharides of the E. longan (Lour.) Steud have a protective effect on cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury, which may be related to decreasing inflammatory response mediated by MPO, TNF-α and IL-1β in the brain.