Traditional Chinese drug ShuXueTong facilitates angiogenesis during wound healing following traumatic brain injury.
BACKGROUND
ShuXueTong injection is a traditional Chinese drug designed to treat the patients of "blood stasis and stagnation (yu xue yu zhi)", including subacute brain trauma. However, the mechanism of the therapeutic effect of ShuXueTong on traumatic brain injury is unknown yet.


OBJECTIVE
We hypothesized that ShuXueTong may promote the brain wound healing by facilitating angiogenesis. Thus this study was designed to explore this hypothesis.


METHODS
By means of microvessel count, Western blotting, immunocytochemistry, methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium assay and etc., the effect of ShuXueTong on the angiogenesis of brain wound was studied and then its influence on the VEGF/VEGFR-2 pathway were explored.


RESULTS
ShuXueTong facilitates angiogenesis in the brain wound and improves the neurological function of the traumatized rats. VEGF expression in the lesion was elevated due to ShuXueTong induction. The in vitro experiment revealed VEGFR-2 and SRF expression in the endothelial cells were enhanced when exposed to ShuXueTong for merely 1d. Moreover, ShuXueTong promoted the endothelial cell proliferation via the VEGF/VEGFR-2 pathway.


CONCLUSIONS
The mechanism of the therapeutic effect of ShuXueTong on traumatic brain injury lies at least partly in the enhanced angiogenesis in the lesion.
Jin
Xiaoying
X
Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, #88 Jiefang Road, Hangzhou 310009, China.
Shen
Gang
G
Gao
Feng
F
Zheng
Xuesheng
X
Xu
Xiaoyan
X
Shen
Fang
F
Li
Gu
G
Gong
Jiangbiao
J
Wen
Liang
L
Yang
Xiaofeng
X
Bie
Xiaodong
X
D043924:Angiogenesis Modulating Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D002196:Capillaries / Q000187:drug effects; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic / Q000187:drug effects*; D010243:Paralysis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D026362:Serum Response Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts; D013844:Thiazoles; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects*
D043924:Angiogenesis Modulating Agents; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D026362:Serum Response Factor; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts; D013844:Thiazoles; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; C532053:shuxuetong; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor; C022616:thiazolyl blue