Protective effect of punicalagin against intracerebral haemorrhage via improvement in blood-brain barrier integrity, and suppression of reactive oxygen species and NF-κB-mediated NLRP3 inflammasome

Abstract

Purpose: To study the effect of punicalagin in a rodent model of intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH). Methods: Collagenase type IV (0.2 U) was used to induce ICH in Sprague-Dawley rats. The animals were randomly assigned to 5 treatment groups (n = 24) as follows: group I (normal control animals), group II (ICH control group administered saline), and groups III, IV and V (ICH + punicalagin at doses of 12.5, 25, 50 mg/kg, respectively). Results: Punicalagin treatment improved brain tissue architecture and blood-brain barrier integrity, and reduced ICH-mediated oxidative stress. It effectively upregulated the expression of Nrf-2/HO-1, and enhanced the activation of NF-kB and NLRP3 inflammasome (p < 0.05). Furthermore, punicalagin significantly down-regulated ICH injury-induced increase in IL-1β and IL-18 (p < 0.05). Conclusion: These results suggest that punicalagin is a potential therapeutic candidate for the management of ICH