Chinese skullcap contains a compound known as baicalin which has protective effects on infective brain edema in rats caused by the injfection of pertussis bacilli. - GreenMedInfo Summary

OBJECTIVE: To compare the therapeutic effects of baicalin, mannitol and dexamethasone on infective brain edema(IBE) in rats. METHODS: Forty normal Sprague-Dawley(SD) rats (200 +/- 30) g by weight were divided into 5 groups randomly: (1) normal saline control group(NS, n = 8); (2) infective brain edema group (BE, n = 8); (3) mannitol treatment group(MAN, n = 8); (4) dexamethasone treatment group(DXM, n = 8); and (5) baicalin treatment group(BC, n = 8). Pertussis bacilli(PB, contained bacilli in 10.8 x 10(9), 0.2 ml-1.kg-1) were injected into the left carotid arteries through the left common carotid arteries by puncture to obtain BE models. The contents of brain water, sodium ion, potassium ion and Evans blue in brain tissues were observed too. RESULTS: The contents of brain water, sodium ion, and EB in BE group were higher than those in BE group(P<0.01), they decreased in MAN, DXM, BC groups and were lower than those in BE group(P<0.01). In MAN, DXM, BC groups, there were no significant difference in the contents of brain water and sodium ion(P>0.05). The EB content in BC group was higher than that in MAN and DXM groups(P<0.01). The content of potassium ion in BE group was higher than that in MAN and DXM groups, the content of potassium ion was similar to that in NS group, but lower than that in BC group. Light microscope inspection in MAN, DXM and BC groups showed lessened brain edema, slight increase of perivascular space, and occasional nerve cell pyknotic nucleus. We found on nerve cell vacuolar degeneration in DXM group. CONCLUSION: Baicalin, mannitol and dexamethasone all have similar protective effects on infective brain edema in rats.