Abstract:

Objective   To study the protective effects of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) on cortex of parietal lobe and M1 segment of middle cerebral artery in atherosclerosis (AS) model rats. Methods   A total of thirty male adult Wister rats were randomly divided into the normal control group, the AS model group and the bFGF treatment group. Except for the control group, rats of the other two groups were injected with a single dose of vitamin D3 (6×104IU/kg) and loaded with high fat diet for six weeks continuously. The bFGF was injection into the abdominal cavity after six weeks in the bFGF treatment group at 9.5μg/kg for two weeks continuously, and an identical volume saline was given to the AS model group and the normal control group. After eight weeks, all the rats were sacrificed. Then, the serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein and high density lipoprotein were respectively assayed, and the colorimetric method was used to detect the level of superoxide dismutase (SOD), Nitric-Oxide (NO) and the content of Malondialdehyde (MAD) in the brain tissues. The cholesterol and Caspase-3 content of the M1 segment of middle cerebral artery were respectively detected by the highperformance liquid chromatography and Western blot. As well the pathological lesion of the M1 segment of middle cerebral artery and cortex of parietal lobe were observed under a light microscopy and quantitative analysis was performed by cell morphometric technique. Results   The early AS plaques were presented after six weeks by hyper lipid foods. Compared with those of the AS model group, the level of serum lipid, the content of cholesterol and Caspase-3 expression in the bFGF treatment group obviously decreased (P<0.05); The content of MAD and activity of SOD and NO also obviously decreased in the brain tissues (P<0.05); The pathologic injury of both the brain tissue and the M1 segment of middle cerebral artery decreased (P<0.05). Conclusion   bFGF may play an important role in antagonizing the brain artery and cortex injuries not only by regulating the oxidizing ability and the level of blood lipid, but also by decreasing the pathologic injuries of both the brain tissue and artery.

Key words: Fibroblast growth factor2； Arteriosclerosis； Arteries； Neurons； Rats