Bu Yang Huan Wu decoction prevents reperfusion injury following ischemic stroke in rats via inhibition of HIF-1 α, VEGF and promotion β-ENaC expression.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Bu Yang Huan Wu Decoction (BYHW) is a famous traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula used in China for the treatment of cerebral ischemic stroke. But the protective effects and underlining mechanisms of BYHW remain unclear.

AIM OF THE STUDY: This study was designed to investigate the protective effects and underlining signaling mechanisms of BYHW on brain tissues in a rat model of cerebral ischemic reperfusion (I/R) injury.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Liquid chromatography was used to verify the composition of BYHW. The cerebral edema and infarct volume were measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The morphology and ultrastructure of ischemic penumbra brain tissues were observed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The expression levels of HIF-1 α, VEGF and β-ENaC were tested using immunohistochemistry technique, western blot and quantitative PCR analysis, respectively.

RESULTS: Administration of BYHW significantly decreased cerebral edema, rat neurological function scores, reduced brain infarct volume. At the same time, BYHW had protective effect on the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which improved the morphology and ultrastructure of ischemic penumbra brain tissues. BYHW treatment significantly decreased the protein and mRNA levels of HIF-1 α and VEGF compared with the model treatment. In addition, BYHW treatment significantly up-regulated the protein and mRNA levels of β-ENaC.

CONCLUSIONS: BYHW protected against cerebral I/R injury in MCAO rats through inhibiting the activation of the HIF-1 α /VEGF pathway and stabilizing ion channel of β-ENaC in brain, indicating that BYHW shows potential for stroke treatment in acute stage.