Polysaccharide extracted from Potentilla anserina L ameliorate acute hypobaric hypoxia-induced brain impairment in rats.

High altitude cerebral edema (HACE) is a high altitude malady caused by acute hypobaric hypoxia (AHH), in which pathogenesis is associated with oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokines. Potentilla anserina L is mainly distributed in Tibetan Plateau, and its polysaccharide possesses many physiological and pharmacological properties. In the present study, the protective effect and potential treatment mechanism of Potentilla anserina L polysaccharide (PAP) in HACE were explored. First, we measured the brain water content and observed the pathological changes in brain tissues, furthermore, malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione (GSH) were evaluated by kits. Finally, the protein contents and mRNA expressions of pro-inflammatory (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, vascular endothelial cell growth factor [VEGF], NF-κB, and hypoxia inducible factor-1 α [HIF-1α]) were detected by ELISA kits, RT-PCR, and western blotting. The results demonstrated that PAP reduced the brain water content, alleviated brain tissue injury, reduce the levels of MDA and NO, and increased the activity of SOD and GSH level. In addition, PAP blocking the NF-κB and HIF-1α signaling pathway activation inhibited the generation of downstream pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and VEGF). Therefore, PAP has a potential to treat and prevent of HACE by suppression of oxidative stress and inflammatory response.