title: Wnt/β-catenin coupled with HIF-1α/VEGF signaling pathways involved in galangin neurovascular unit protection from focal cerebral ischemia.
abstract: Microenvironmental regulation has become a promising strategy for complex disease treatment. The neurovascular unit (NVU), as the key structural basis to maintain an optimal brain microenvironment, has emerged as a new paradigm to understand the pathology of stroke. In this study, we investigated the effects of galangin, a natural flavonoid isolated from the rhizome of Alpina officinarum Hance, on NVU microenvironment improvement and associated signal pathways in rats impaired by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Galangin ameliorated neurological scores, cerebral infarct volume and cerebral edema and reduced the concentration of Evans blue (EB) in brain tissue. NVU ultrastructural changes were also improved by galangin. RT-PCR and western blot revealed that galangin protected NVUs through the Wnt/β-catenin pathway coupled with HIF-1α and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). VEGF and β-catenin could be the key nodes of these two coupled pathways. In conclusion, Galangin might function as an anti-ischemic stroke drug by improving the microenvironment of NVUs.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China.|State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, 999078, China.
authors.forename: Chuanhong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China.
authors.forename: Jianxin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China.
authors.forename: Chang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: The first Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Xinjiang, 830054, China.
authors.forename: Limei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.affiliation: Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China.
authors.forename: Kuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, 999078, China.
authors.forename: Xiuping
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Beijing No.166 High School, Beijing 100006, China.
authors.forename: Sihuai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.affiliation: Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China.
authors.forename: Huihui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China.|Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China.
authors.forename: Shaojing
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit / Q000378:metabolism*; D020244:Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism*; D060449:Wnt Signaling Pathway / Q000187:drug effects*; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D005419:Flavonoids; C497444:Hif1a protein, rat; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D051176:beta Catenin; C467498:vascular endothelial growth factor A, rat; C037032:galangin