Abstract: Objective To explore the effect of atractylodes macrocephala lactone Ⅲ (AML Ⅲ)on nerve injury of rats with cerebral infarction. Methods The rats were randomly divided into sham operation group, model group (modified Longa thrombus method to prepare rat cerebral infarction model), low and high dose of AML Ⅲ group (AMLⅢ-L,AMLⅢ-H) and high dose AML Ⅲ +EX527 (SIRT1 inhibitor) group (AMLⅢ-H-EX527). Neurological function was assessed by Zea-Longa score. Serum tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL-6, IL-1β) were measured by ELISA; The level of super oxide dismutase activity (SOD), malonaldehyde content (MDA), and catalase activity (CAT) in brain tissue was detected by commercially available kit; pathological changes of hippocampus tissue and the area of cerebral infarction were observed by HE staining and TTC staining microscopy respectively. Apoptosis of brain cells was identified by TUNEL staining; protein expression of Bax, Bcl-2, SIRT1, and Nrf2 in rat brain tissue was detected by Western blot assay. Results After the intervention by AML Ⅲ, the pathological injury of hippocampus neurons in rats was alleviated. The neurological function score, serum TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β levels, apoptosis rate, cerebral infarction size,MDA level and Bax protein expression were all decreased. SOD and CAT activity, SIRT1, Nrf2, Bcl-2 and protein expression were all increased (P＜0.05); EX527 was able to alleviate the protective effect of AML Ⅲ on neural function damage in rats with cerebral infarction. Conclusions Atractylodes macrocephala lactone Ⅲ reduces the nerve function injury in rat models with cerebral infarction.

Key words: macrocephala lactone Ⅲ, cerebral infarction, neurological function damage, Zea-Longa score