ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the protective effects and its mechanism of Panaxatriol Saponins isolated from Panax notoginseng (PTS) on focal cerebral ischemia in rat brain.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The influences of PTS on cerebral water content and three specific proteins (VEGF, HSP70 and transferrin) related with cerebral ischemia were studied with unilateral occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCAO) and Western Blot.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>PTS 12.5 mg.kg-1 i.p. x 7 d (5 d before MCAO and 2 d after MCAO) inhibited the increase of cerebral water content caused by MCAO and influenced contents of HSP70 and transferrin, but had no influence on VEGF protein level.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>PTS shows a protective effect on focal cerebral ischemia in rat brain by alleviating cerebral edema, up-regulating the expression of HSP70, down-regulating transferrin and maintaining blood-brain barrier.</p>