Salvianolic Acids for Injection (SAFI) promotes functional recovery and neurogenesis via sonic hedgehog pathway after stroke in mice

Publication date: Available online 5 September 2017 Source:Neurochemistry International Author(s): Ye Zhang, Xiangjian Zhang, Lili Cui, Rong Chen, Cong Zhang, Yaoru Li, Tingting He, Xingyuan Zhu, Zuyuan Shen, Lipeng Dong, Jingru Zhao, Ya Wen, Xiufen Zheng, Pan Li There is a pressing need of developing approaches for delayed post-stroke therapy for patients who fail to receive thrombolysis within the narrow time window. Neuroprotection of Salvianolic Acids for Injection (SAFI) for cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in acute phase has been well documented. The current study was to determine the influence of SAFI at the subacute phase after stroke in mice, and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Adult male C57BL/6 mice were subjected to permanent occlusion of the distal middle cerebral artery (dMCAO), followed by daily intraperitoneal injection of SAFI 24 h after stroke for 14 days. Motor behavior was measured by neurological function evaluations weekly, and proliferation, migration, survival and differentiation of neural progenitor cells (NPCs) were examined with immunohistochemistry. Sonic hedgehog (Shh) inhibitor cyclopamine (CYC) was injected to determine the involvement of Shh pathway in the therapeutic effects of SAFI. The results showed that SAFI led to dramatic brain functional improvement, elevated NPCs proliferation, and prompted long-term survival of newborn neurons in the subventricular zone (SVZ). Up-regulation of Shh, Ptch and nuclear translo...
Source: Neurochemistry International - Category: Neuroscience Source Type: research