To investigate the effect of blood-activating Chinese medicinal compounds and water-draining Chinese medicinal compounds on tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and nuclear factor kappaB (NF-κ B) expressions in rats with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) at the acute stage

and to monitor their therapeutic effect and mechanism of action on inflammation and cerebral edema. A rat model of cerebral hemorrhage was achieved by injecting autologous arterial blood into the caudate nucleus. A total of 168 rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: blood-activating medicine group (n=42)

water-draining medicine group (n=42)

sham operated group (n=42)

and the model group (n=42). A series of brain samples were obtained at days 1

3 and 5 after ICH from rats in all groups. Protein expression levels of TNF-α and NF-κ B were measured by immunohistochemical staining and gene expression levels of TNF-α and NF-κ B were measured by real-time fluorescent PCR. Compared to the sham operated group

protein expression levels of TNF-α and NF-κ B in the model group significantly increased (P<0.01). Protein and gene expressions of TNF-α from the blood-activating medicine group and water-draining medicine group significantly decreased when compared to those in the model group P<0.05). Meanwhile

compared to the model group

the expression of NF-κ B in the blood-activating medicine group significantly decreased (P<0.05)

while expression of NF-κ B in the water-draining medicine group did not differ (P>0.05). Blood-activating Chinese medicinal compounds and water-draining Chinese medicinal compounds can alleviate inflammation of peripheral tissue and cerebral edema. However

the blood-activating Chinese medicinal compounds were more effective than the water-draining Chinese medicinal compounds. The possible effective mechanism may be by means of inhibiting the activation of NF-κ B so as to suppress the transcription of target genes including gene expression of TNF-α.