title: Panaxatriol saponins promotes angiogenesis and enhances cerebral perfusion after ischemic stroke in rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Panaxatriol saponins (PTS), an extract from the traditional Chinese herb Panax notoginseng, which has been used to treat ischemic stroke for many years in China. However, the mechanism underlying the effects of PTS remains unclear. This study aimed to determine whether PTS can protect against ischemic brain injury by promoting angiogenesis and to explore the possible mechanism by which it promotes angiogenesis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) was induced in rats, and neurological deficit scores and brain infarct volumes were assessed. Micro-Positron emission tomography (PET) was adopted to assess cerebral perfusion, and real-time PCR and western blotting were used to evaluate vascular growth factor and Sonic hedgehog (Shh) pathway component levels. Immunofluorescence staining was used to determine capillary densities in ischemic penumbrae.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We showed that PTS improved neurological function and reduced infarct volumes in MCAO rats. Micro-PET indicated that PTS can significantly increase18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-PDG) uptake by ischemic brain tissue and enhance cerebral perfusion after MCAO surgery. Moreover, PTS was able to increase capillary densities and enhance angiogenesis in ischemic boundary zones and up-regulate vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and Angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1) expression by activating the Shh signaling pathway.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings indicate that PTS exerts protective effects against cerebral ischemic injury by enhancing angiogenesis and improving microperfusion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210008, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.|Department of Neurology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210001, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.|The State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210008, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.|Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Molecular Medicine, Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, 210008, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.|Jiangsu Province Stroke Center for Diagnosis and Therapy, Nanjing, 210008, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Hui
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency, Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210008, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.|The State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210008, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.|Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Molecular Medicine, Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, 210008, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.|Jiangsu Province Stroke Center for Diagnosis and Therapy, Nanjing, 210008, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Du-Juan
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Sha
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210001, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Su-Lei
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210008, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Chao-Sheng
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency, Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210008, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.|Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Molecular Medicine, Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, 210008, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210001, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jing-Qing
authors.initials: JQ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210001, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210001, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jing-Hua
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, 321 ZhongShan Road, Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province, 210008, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Hong-Yu
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210008, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, 321 ZhongShan Road, Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province, 210008, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Lin-Jie
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210008, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China. xuyun20042001@aliyun.com.|Department of Neurology, Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, 321 ZhongShan Road, Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province, 210008, People's Republic of China. xuyun20042001@aliyun.com.|The State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210008, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China. xuyun20042001@aliyun.com.|Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Molecular Medicine, Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, 210008, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China. xuyun20042001@aliyun.com.|Jiangsu Province Stroke Center for Diagnosis and Therapy, Nanjing, 210008, People's Republic of China. xuyun20042001@aliyun.com.|Nanjing Neuropsychiatry Clinic Medical Center, Nanjing, 210008, People's Republic of China. xuyun20042001@aliyun.com.
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D042501:Angiogenic Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects; D036145:Ginsenosides / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D053823:Hedgehog Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic / Q000187:drug effects*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011897:Random Allocation; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020521:Stroke / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D042501:Angiogenic Proteins; D036145:Ginsenosides; D053823:Hedgehog Proteins; D010936:Plant Extracts; C546888:Shh protein, rat; C004563:panaxatriol
keywords: Angiogenesis; Cerebral perfusion; Ischemic stroke; Panaxatriol saponins