Apigenin Protects the Brain against Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury via Caveolin-1/VEGF In Vitro and In Vivo

Figure 4

Effect of apigenin in rat MCAO/R model. Animals were divided into sham, middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/R) (model), model rats treated with Caveolin-1 inhibitor of Daidzin (Daidzin), model rats treated with apigenin, and model rats treated with apigenin combined with Daidzin. Neurobehavioral scores, pathological examination, and measurement of Caveolin-1, VEGF, and eNOS were performed on the 7th and 14th days after anesthesia and ischemia/reperfusion in all groups. (a) Neurobehavioral scores by Zea Longa 5-point system were demonstrated. Results of hematoxylin-eosin staining of the brain tissue of rats in all the groups are shown in (b) and TTC staining results in (c) followed by analysis of infarct volume (d). VEGFR2/CD34 double-labeling endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) were assayed using immunofluorescence (e), and VEGFR2/CD34 positive EPCs were analyzed (f). Caveolin-1 mRNA expression was detected by qPCR (j), and protein expression of Caveolin-1, VEGF, and eNOS was measured using western blotting (g, h, i, k). Data was given as mean ± SD, . and compared with rats in the sham group; and compared with rats in MCAO/R group.

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