title: Tongxinluo attenuates neuronal loss and enhances neurogenesis and angiogenesis in the ipsilateral thalamus and improves neurological outcome after focal cortical infarction in hypertensive rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Tongxinluo, a well-known traditional Chinese medicine complex, has been widely used for the treatment of cerebrovascular diseases in China. The present study was to explore whether treatment with tongxinluo could improve neurological function and alleviate secondary damage in the ipsilateral thalamus after focal cortical infarction in hypertensive rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tongxinluo was given through oral gavage starting 24 h after distal middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Neurological function was assessed and then rats were sacrificed 7 and 14 days after MCAO. Brains were harvested for examining infarction volume, Nissl staining and immunofluorescence analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with vehicle treatment, tongxinluo remarkably improved neurological function without reducing infarction volume, attenuated neuronal loss and astrocyte activation in the ipsilateral thalamus 7 and 14 days after MCAO (all p < 0.05). Also, tongxinluo markedly increased the number of BrdU+/nestin+ and BrdU+/NeuN+ cells 14 days after MCAO. Moreover, vascular density, the number of BrdU+ vascular endothelial cells, and vascular perimeter in the ipsilateral thalamus were markedly increased in the tongxinluo group relative to that of the vehicle group (all p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Administration of tongxinluo 24 h after cortical infarction may promote neurogenesis and angiogenesis in the ipsilateral thalamus and improves neurological function after cortical infarction in rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China Department of Neurology and Stroke Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Stroke Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Department of Neurology, Wuzhou Red Cross Hospital, Wuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoting
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China.
authors.forename: Xinran
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China.
authors.forename: Shihui
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Xing
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China.
authors.forename: Jingjing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China.
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China.
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China.
authors.forename: Ge
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China.
authors.forename: Jinsheng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zeng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000187:drug effects; D006973:Hypertension / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D020244:Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D055495:Neurogenesis / Q000187:drug effects*; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013788:Thalamus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; C513941:tongxinluo
keywords: Tongxinluo; angiogenesis; focal cerebral infarction; neurogenesis