To investigate the effect of Xingnaojing injection on neurological functions of rats with craniocerebral injury and its related mechanisms.

A total of 108 rats were randomly divided into the sham operation group, trauma group and treatment group, each with 36 rats. The craniocerebral injury model was established using the improved Feeney free fall injury device. Rats in the sham operation and trauma groups were injected intraperitoneally with 1 mL normal saline, while rats in the treatment group were administrated intraperitoneally with 5 mL/kg Xingnaojing injection, once a day for 7 days. Six rats in each group were used for neurological function tests. At 12, 24, 48, 72, and 168 h, 6 rats in each group were sacrificed to separate hippocampal tissues, respectively. The Western-blotting method was used to detect the expression of Survivin, and terminal dexynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining was used to detect neuronal apoptosis. The forelimb placement test and balanced experiment were used to test behaviors of rats, and the degree of improved neurologic impairment was used to measure neurological injury of rats in each group on 7, 14, 21, and 28 d after operation.

There were significant differences in the expressions of Survivin and neuron apoptosis among the three groups (F=262.495, 203.219, both P < 0.05). The proportions of Survivin and neuronal apoptosis in hippocampus were significantly higher in the trauma and treatment groups than in the sham operation group at 12, 24, 48, 72, and 168 h (all P < 0.05). Compared with the trauma group at 48, 72, and 168 h, the expression of Survivin significantly increased and the percentage of neuron apoptosis significantly declined in the treatment group (all P < 0.05). The scores of forelimb placement test and balanced experiment in the three groups were statistically significant (F=60.876, 23.143; both P < 0.05). The scores on 7, 14, 21, and 28 d after operation were significantly lower in the treatment group than in the trauma group (all P < 0.05). The scores of improved neurologic impairment degree in the three groups were also statistically significant (F=24.046, P < 0.001). The scores on 7, 14, 21, and 28 d after operation were significantly lower in the treatment group than in the trauma group (all P < 0.05).

Xingnaojing injection may exert a protective effect on neurological functions of craniocerebral injury rats by up-regulating the expression of Survivin and subsequently inhibiting neuronal apoptosis.