Background: Despite the well-recognized effectiveness of Ruscus aculetus extract combined or not with ascorbic acid (AA) and hesperidine methyl chalcone (HMC) on ischemia reperfusion (I/R) injury protection, little is known about the contribution of each constituent for this effect.
Objective: To investigate the effects of AA and HMC combined or not with Ruscus extract on increased macromolecular permeability and leukocyte-endothelium interaction induced by I/R injury.
Methods: Hamsters were treated daily during two weeks with filtered water (placebo), AA (33, 100 and 300 mg/kg/day) and HMC (50, 150 and 450 mg/kg/day) combined or not with Ruscus extract (50, 150 and 450 mg/kg/day). On the day of experiment, the cheek pouch microcirculation underwent 30 min of ischemia, and the number of rolling and adherent leukocytes and leaky sites were evaluated before ischemia and during 45 min of reperfusion.
Results: Ruscus extract combined with AA and HMC (Ruscus extract mixture) significantly prevented post-ischemic increase in leukocyte rolling and adhesion and macromolecular permeability compared to placebo and these effects were more prominent than AA and HMC alone on leukocyte adhesion and macromolecular leakage.
Conclusion: Ruscus extract mixture were more effective than its isolated constituents in protect the hamster cheek pouch microcirculation against I/R injury.
Keywords: Ruscus extract; hamster cheek pouch preparation; ischemia/reperfusion injury; microcirculation.