Abstract: Objective To observe the effects of Tongxinluo on cerebral ischemic tolerance and expression of Bcl-2 and Bax in rats with cerebral infarction.Methods The neurophysical assessment and the volume of the cerebral infarction in Tongxinluo group,middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO)group,preconditioning and MCAO(PC-MCAO)group were determined at different time point.The expression of Bcl-2 and Bax were measured with immunohistochemitry and the apoptosis of the nerve cells were detected with TUNEL.Results Among these groups in the corresponding time,the neurophysical marks of Tongxinluo group was the lowest and the cerebral infarction volume was the smallest at 24 h,3 d and 5 d points.The Bcl-2 positive neurons were the highest,while the Bax positive neurons and the apoptosis rate of nerve cells were the lowest around the necrotic areas in Tongxinluo group(P<0.05).Conclusion Tongxinluo can improve the cerebral ischemic tolerance and increase the expression of Bcl-2 and decrease that of Bax around the necrotic area after cerebral ischemia in rats.

Key words: Tongxinluo, ischemic tolerance, Bcl-2, Bax, apoptosis, rats