Protective Effects of Luteolin in a Rat Model of Ischemic Stroke

Recent studies have pointed to the protective effects of luteolin against inflammation and oxidative stress. The present study aimed to investigate the protective effect of luteolin on neurogenesis, behavioral deficits, and infarct volume in a rat model of ischemiastroke.

The present experimental study was conducted on eight rats in four groups of  sham, control, and two treatments. The treatment groups received luteolin (15 or 30 mg/kg body weight) following focal cerebral ischemia. To assess the efficacy of luteolin, some stroke pathological changes, such as infarct volume, roger behavioral test, and neurogenesis were evaluated after 24 h.

Administration of luteolin at doses of 15 and 30 mg/kg body weight reduced the infarct volume and improved the behavioral test after stroke in a dose-dependent manner. In the present study, the mRNA expression of neurogenesis markers, such as sox2, Nestin, and Dcx was investigated. The results showed that luteolin did not exert any significant effects on neurogenesis markers.

As evidenced by the obtained results, luteolin has a strong potential in the prevention/neuroprotection of ischemiastroke. Further studies are needed to clearly define the neuroprotective effects of luteolin.