Expression of Na⁺/Ca²⁺ exchangers was enhanced following pre-treatment of olive leaf extract and olive oil in animal model of ischemic stroke

Abstract

Background

Neuroprotective role of olive and its natural products can introduce them as alternative candidates for the management of neurodegenerative diseases including stroke. The present study was designed to evaluate whether pretreatment of olive oil and leaf extract can attenuate the most important destructive processes in cerebral ischemia called excitotoxicity.

Material and Methods

The male rats were categorized into control, virgin olive oil (OVV), MCAO, MCAO + OVV (with doses of 0.25, 0.50 and 0.75 ml/kg as treatment groups), olive leaf extract, MCAO + olive leaf extract (with doses 50, 75 and 100 mg/kg as treatment groups) groups. Rats of treatment groups received gastric gavage with olive oil or leaf extract for 30 consecutive days. After pretreatment, the intraluminal filament technique was used to block middle cerebral artery (MCA) transiently. Neurological deficits, infarct volume and expression of Na⁺/Ca²⁺ exchangers (NCX1, NCX2 and NCX3) proteins were measured.

Results

The results revealed that olive oil at doses of 0.50 and 0.75 ml/kg reduced the infarction and neurological score and upregulated NCXs expression in rat brain. In addition, olive leaf extract at doses of 75 and 100 mg/kg attenuated the infarction and neurological score and enhanced NCXs expression in rat brain.

Conclusion

These findings support the view that olive oil and leaf extract play the neuroprotective role in cerebral ischemia due to the upregulation of NCXs protein expression.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords:

• Olive leaf extract
• olive oil
• cerebral ischemia
• sodium–calcium exchanger

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s)

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.