The effect of monascin on hematoma clearance and edema after intracerebral hemorrhage in rats

- Pharmacological manipulations facilitating hematoma clearance, represents a novel, clinical relevant strategy in ICH.
- As a novel natural agonist of Nrf2 and PPARγ, the role of monascin has not been reported on ICH.
- Our results showed the expression of PPARγ and Nrf2 were upregulated by monascin, which facilitated hematoma clearance.
- Monascin improved outcome through hematoma resolution, mitigating BBB disruption and edema in ICH rats.
- The results were verified by histochemistry, western blot and dynamical MRI techniques.

Background and purposeIntracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a particularly devastating form of stroke with high mortality and morbidity. Hematomas are the primary cause of neurologic deficits associated with ICH. The products of hematoma are recognized as neurotoxins and the main contributors to edema formation and tissue damage after ICH. Finding a means to efficiently promote absorption of hematoma is a novel clinical challenge for ICH. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), had been shown that, can take potential roles in the endogenous hematoma clearance. However, monascin, a novel natural Nrf2 activator with PPARγ agonist, has not been reported to play a role in ICH. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of monascin on neurological deficits, hematoma clearance and edema extinction in a model of ICH in rats.Methods164 adult male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into sham; vehicle; monascin groups with low dosages (1 mg/kg/day), middle dosages (5 mg/kg/day) and high dosages (10 mg/kg/day) respectively. Animals were euthanized at 1, 3 and 7 days following neurological evaluation after surgery. We examined the effect of monascin on the brain water contents, blood brain barrier (BBB) permeability and hemoglobin levels, meanwhile reassessed the volume of hematoma and edema around the hematoma by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in each group.ResultsThe high dosage of monascin significantly improved neurological deficits, reduced the volume of hematoma in 1-7 days after ICH, decreased BBB permeability and edema formation in 1-3 days following ICH.ConclusionOur study demonstrated that the high dosage of monascin played a neuroprotective role in ICH through reducing BBB permeability, edema and hematoma volume.