Effects of nanometer particles and water decoction of the Chinese medicine mixture of pinellia ternate and scorpion on P53 protein contents and apoptosis in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus of epileptic rats

Background: Water decoction of the Chinese traditional medicine mixture of pinellia ternate and scorpion is an effective treatment for epilepsy. Objective: To compare nanometer particles and effects of water decoction of Chinese traditional medicine mixture on P53 protein levels and apoptosis in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus of epileptic rats. Design, time and setting: This randomized, controlled molecular biology study was performed at the Key Laboratory of Child Neural Rehabilitation of Jiamusi University from October to December 2007. Materials: Forty healthy male Wistar rats were used in this study. Convulsion rat models were established by intraperitoneal infusion of 35 mg/kg pentylenetetrazol, once a day, for 28 successive days. The Chinese traditional medicine mixture, comprising pinellia ternate, scorpion, centipede, bupleurum, peach pit and glycyrrhiza, was purchased from Beijing Tongrentang, China. The mixture was made into nanometer particles and water decoction. The apoptosis determination kit and P53 immunohistochemistry kit were bought from Boster, China. Methods: Forty Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups of ten rats per group, control, nanometer particle, water decoction and epileptic model groups. Rats in the nanometer particle and water decoction groups were respectively treated with 300 mg/kg Chinese herb nanometer particle suspension and water decoction by gavage, once a day, for 28 days. Rats in the epileptic model group were fed an equal volume of saline by gavage. Rats in the control group were only administered with the same volume of saline by gavage. Main outcome measures: Terminal deoxynucleotidyl Transferase Biotin-dUTP Nick End Labeling (TUNEL) and immunohistochemistry were used to respectively detect neuronal apoptosis and P53 protein expression in the rat brain cortex and hippocampus at 28 days following administration. Results: The number of apoptotic neurons was lower in the nanometer particle and water decoction groups compared with the epileptic model group. The number of apoptotic cells and P53 protein expression in the rat cerebral cortex and hippocampus was greater in the epileptic model group compared with the control group (P < 0.05), but lower in the nanometer particle and water decoction groups compared with the epileptic model group (P < 0.05), and lower in the nanometer particle group compared with the water decoction group (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Chinese traditional medicine mixture decreases neuronal apoptosis and P53 protein expression in epileptic rats. The effect of nanometer particles is significant compared with water decoction.