Baicalin administration is effective in positive regulation of twenty-four ischemia/reperfusion-related proteins identified by a proteomic study

Baicalin is a major plant polyphenolic compound derived from the dried root of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, a Traditional Chinese Medicine material. The current study applied proteomics to investigate the different protein expression modes in mice brains after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) with or without administration of baicalin. Twenty-four proteins which had a 3-fold change in abundance compared to the sham control sample were selected to be identified. Statistical analysis demonstrated that there was no significant difference in expression between the twenty-four proteins baicalin-treated MCAO group and the sham-operation group (n=24, p=0.102). Gene Ontology analysis linked these proteins to fifteen biological processes, including cellular process, developmental process and biological regulation. Results indicated that baicalin performed well in regulating proteins in energy metabolism but had a relatively weak effect in the regulation of proteins in neurogenesis and apoptosis. In sum, our findings suggest baicalin may be a potential therapeutic agent in treating stroke and may also be a strong candidate for future research in its actions on individual proteins.