Hyperoside (Hyp), a kind of Chinese herbal medicine, exerts multiple
therapeutic effects on many diseases. However, the role and mechanisms of Hyp in vascular pathophysiology in
ischemic stroke need to be further established. The study aimed to investigate the role of (large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+)
BK channels on the vasoprotection of Hyp against
cerebral ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) injury in rats. The concentration gradient of Hyp was pretreated in both the
middle cerebral artery occlusion and reperfusion model and
oxygen-
glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) model of primary vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) in rats. A series of indicators were detected, including neurological deficit score,
infarct volume,
malondialdehyde (MDA),
superoxide dismutase (SOD), cerebral blood flow (CBF), cell viability, membrane potential, and
BK channels α- and β1-subunits expression. The results showed that Hyp significantly reduced
infarct volume and ameliorated neurological dysfunction in I/R-injured rats. Besides, the effects of I/R-induced reduction of
BK channels α- and β1-subunits expression were significantly reversed by Hyp in endothelial-denudated cerebral basilar arteries. Furthermore, the protective effect against I/R-induced increases of MDA and reduction of SOD as well as CBF induced by Hyp was significantly reversed by
iberiotoxin (
IbTX). In OGD/R-injured VSMCs, downregulated cellular viability and
BK channels β1-subunits expression were remarkably reversed by Hyp. However, neither OGD/R nor Hyp affected
BK channels α-subunits expression, and Hyp failed to induced hyperpolarization of VSMCs. Moreover, the protective effect against OGD/R-induced reduction of cell viability and SOD level and increases of MDA production induced by Hyp was significantly reversed by
IbTX in VSMCs. The study indicates that Hyp has the therapeutic potential to improve vascular outcomes, and the mechanism is associated with suppressing oxidative stress and improving CBF through upregulating
BK channels.