Effects of Puerariae radix on cell proliferation and nitric oxide synthase expression in dentate gyrus of alcohol-intoxicated Sprague-Dawley rats.

Traditionally, Puerariae radix had been used for the treatment of alcohol-related problems. In this study, effects of Puerariae radix on cell proliferation and nitric oxide synthase expression in the dentate gyrus of alcohol-intoxicated Sprague-Dawley rats were investigated via 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) immunohistochemistry and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-diaphorase (NADPH-d) histochemistry. Alcohol administration was shown to inhibit the numbers of both BrdU-positive and NADPH-d-positive cells, while Puerariae radix treatment was shown to increase those numbers. It is possible that nitric oxide, which might play an important role in the regulation of cell proliferation, is a major target of the toxic effects of alcohol.