Shengjiang powder ameliorates cell pyroptosis and inflammation induced by MCAO in rats through the NLRP3/Caspase-1 pathway

BACKGROUND: This study aims to explore the effects and mechanisms of Shengjiang Powder (SJP) in alleviating ischemic stroke. METHODS: The middle cerebral artery occlusion and reperfusion (MCAO) model was established in rats for both the model and medication groups. Neurological function scores, TTC staining, Hematoxylin-Eosin staining and Nissl staining were employed to evaluate the preventive and therapeutic effects of SJP on MCAO in rats. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, western blotting, and immunofluorescence double staining were used to detect the expression levels of biological markers related to the NLRP3/Caspase-1 pathway. RESULTS: SJP demonstrated an improvement in brain tissue damage in rats subjected to MCAO. SJP inhibited the activation of the NLRP3/Caspase-1 pathway after MCAO in rats. Caspase-1 was primarily expressed in neurons and microglia 24 h post-MCAO in rats, with minimal expression in astrocytes. CONCLUSION: SJP ameliorates brain tissue damage by inhibiting the activation of the NLRP3/Caspase-1 pathway, thereby reducing the inflammatory response and cell pyroptosis induced by MCAO in rats.