Effects Of Angelica Sinensis Injection On The Expression Of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) And Its Receptors (Flt-1 And Flk-1) After The Ischemic Brain Injury In Rats

Objectives: To investigate the effects of Angelica sinensis injection on the expression of vascular endpthelial growth factor (VEGF), vascular endothelial growth factor receptor -1 (Flt-1), vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (Flk-1) after the ischemic brain injury in rats.Methods: 123 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups: the control group; the sham-operated group were placed 1.0 cm suture into internal carotid artery and sacrificed after 1 d for testing; the ischemia group rats underwent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) for 2 hours by suture, the angelica group rats underwent MCAO for 2 hours meanwhile received treatment with Angelica sinensis (5g/kg ). At 1 day. 3 days and 7 days after reperfusion. 30 rats (n=5 at different time points in the ischemia group and the angelica group) were assessed by neurological scale and brain tissue was taken to assess the lesion ration with 2. 3. 5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining. The other rats (n=8 at different time points in the ischemia group and the angelica group) were decapitated at 3 h, 6 h, 12 h, 1 d, 3 d, 7 d after reperfusion. Immunohistochemistry and quantitative reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique was used to examine the expression of VEGF and the gene expression of Flt-1, Flk-1.Results: The neurologic deficit score of rats in the angelica group decreased significantly compared with the ischemia group at the same time point (P<0.05). The infarct volurrje of the ischemia group was significant greater than the angelica group at the same time point after reperfusion (P<0.01). The result of immunohistochemistry revealed that VEGF in the two groups reached its peak at the time of 1 d after reperfusion then declined gradually. The results of RT-PCR revealed that the gene expression of VEGF in the ischemia group increased from 3 h after reperfusion and reached its peak at the time of 6 h; in the angelica group reached its peak at the time of 3 d. The expression of VEGF in the angelica group was significantly increased than the ischemia group the same time point, the gene expression of Flt-1, Flk-1 in the two groups increased from 3 h after reperfusionand reached its peak at the time of 3 d after reperfusion, then declined gradually. The gene expression of Fit-1 > Flk-1 in the angelica group was significantly increased than the ischemia group at the same time point (P<0.01). The gene expression of Flk-1 was positive correlated with Flt-1 in two groups (r= 0.957).Conclusions: The increasing amount of VEGF^ Flt-1 .. Flk-1 expression was enhanced by Angelica sinensis injection following transient interruption of cerebral blood flow in rats.