Effect of astragalus injection on the angiogenesis and HIF-1α/VEGF signal pathway in brain tissue of rats with cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury

Objective:To explore the effects of astragalus injection on the angiogenesis and HIF-1α/VEGF(hypoxia inducible factors-1α/vascular endothelial growth factor) signal pathway in brain tissue of rats with cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury.Methods:Seventy-two rats were randomly divided into the control group,model group and astragalus injection group(24 rats each group).The rat model of cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury models were established by nylon monofilament induced method.Before operation,after operation and after 7 days of adminstration,the neurological scores in all rats were evaluated,and the expression levels of microvessel density(MVD) in brain tissue of rats were detected by immunohistochemical method,the mRNA and protein expression levels of HIF-1α and VEGF in brain tissue of rats were detected by RT-PCR and Western Blotting,respectively.Results:After 7 dyas of adminstration,the neurological score in astragalus injection group was significantly higher than that in model group(P<0.01),and the level of MVD,mRNA and protein expression levels of HIF-1α and VEGF in astragalus injection group were significantly higher than those in model group(P<0.01).Conclusions:Astragalus injection can promote the angiogenesis in brain tissue of rats with cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury,the mechanism of which maybe activate the pathway of HIF-1α/VEGF.