This study aimed to investigate neuroprotection of
Danhong injection (DHI) in a rat model of
cerebral ischemia using (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography ((18)F-FDG-PET). Method. Rats were divided into 5 groups:
sham group,
ischemia-reperfusion untreated (IRU) group, DHI-1 group (DHI 1 mL/kg/d), DHI-2 group (DHI 2 mL/kg/d), and DHI-4 group (DHI 4 mL/kg/d). AII the treated groups were intraperitoneally injected with DHI daily for 14 days. The
therapeutic effects in terms of
cerebral infarct volume, neurological function, and cerebral
glucose metabolism were evaluated. Expression of TNF-α and IL-1β was detected with
enzyme-linked
immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Levels of mature neuronal marker (NeuN), glial marker (GFAP), vascular density factor (vWF), and
glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) were assessed by immunohistochemistry. Results. Compared with the IRU group, rats treated with DHI showed dose dependent reductions in
cerebral infarct volume and levels of proinflammatory
cytokines, improvement of neurological function, and recovery of cerebral
glucose metabolism. Meanwhile, the significantly increased numbers of neurons, gliocytes, and vessels and the recovery of
glucose utilization were found in the peri-
infarct region after DHI treatment using immunohistochemical analysis. Conclusion. This study demonstrated the metabolic recovery after DHI treatment by micro-PET imaging with (18)F-FDG and the
neuroprotective effects of DHI in a rat model of cerebral ischemic-
reperfusion injury.