Dengpan Hong; Lijie Bi; Feng Qiang; Xiao Chen & Weiping Qiang

Cerebral hemorrhage (CH) presents a significant risk for cognitive decline. Our research aimed to assess the impact of Apricot Kernel Oil (AKO) on cognitive function and inflammatory response in a hemorrhagic stroke model using Wistar rats, and to examine their correlation. Fifty Wistar rats were randomly assigned to five groups: a control group, an AKO supplemented group (receiving 400 mg/kg AKO), a CH group (with induced CH), and CH groups supplemented with 200 and 400 mg/kg AKO, each containing 10 rats. Cognitive function was evaluated using the Y-electric maze test across these groups. Additionally, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and real-time PCR were utilized to analyze the protein and gene expression profiles of inflammatory and apoptotic factors in the brain. Compared to the control group, rats in the CH group took longer to master the maze criteria (P<0.05). Moreover, the CH group exhibited significantly increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α, and decreased levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-4 and IL-10 compared to the control group (P<0.05). Conversely, rats in the CH+400 mg/kg AKO group showed opposite trends in electrical simulation time, inflammatory factor protein, and gene expression profile (Bcl- 2, BAX, Caspase-3, and p53) compared to the CH group (P<0.05). Our findings suggest that AKO extract may ameliorate cognitive dysfunction following CH in rats, potentially through modulation of inflammatory factors secreted by microglia.

KEY WORDS: Apricot kernel oil; Inflammation; Apoptosis; Cerebral hemorrhage.

HONG, D.; BI, L.; QIANG, F.; CHEN, X. & QIANG , W. Effects of Apricot kernel oil extract on the cognitive function and expression profile of inflammatory factors in a rat model of hemorrhagic stroke: A biochemical, immunohistochemical and molecular approach. Int. J. Morphol., 42(5):1312-1321, 2024.