Abstract: This study aims to investigate the therapeutic effects of Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE) on Sprague-Dawley rats (Rattus norvegicus) with cerebral infarction (CI) and its potential mechanisms. A CI rat model of multiple arterial occlusion was established by injecting fluorescent micropheres via the external carotid artery. The rats with successful model induction were randomly divided into a CI group, a butylphthalide (NBP) group, a low-dose Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE-L) group, a high-dose Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE-H) group, and a GBE-H plus sirtuin 7 (SIRT7) inhibitor 97491 (SIRT7i) group, with 20 rats in each group. An additional 20 healthy rats were selected as the Control group. Following treatment, neurological impairment scores were assessed across all rat groups. 2, 3, 5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining was employed to quantify cerebral infarct volume. Haematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining was used to examine pathological changes in brain tissue. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits were utilized to measure levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), angiopoietin (Ang), and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) in brain tissue. Immunofluorescence was used to detect cluster of differentiation 31 (CD31) positive expression in the cortical area of rat cerebral ischemia. Western blot (WB) analysis was used to measure the expression levels of proteins associated with the SIRT7/vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) pathway in brain tissue. The results showed that, compared with the Control group, rats in the CI group exhibited worsened pathological damage in brain tissue, significantly increased neurological impairment scores and cerebral infarct area (P<0.05), and markedly reduced levels of VEGF, Ang, PDGF, CD31-positive expression, as well as SIRT7, VEGFA, and VEGF2R protein expression level (P<0.05). Compared with the CI group, the NBP, GBE-L, and GBE-H groups exhibited significantly improved pathological damage in rat brain tissue, markedly reduced neurological impairment scores, and decreased cerebral infarct area (P<0.05). Levels of VEGF, Ang, PDGF, CD31-positive expression, SIRT7, VEGFA, and VEGF2R protein expression level were markedly elevated (P<0.05), with the GBE-H group demonstrating the most pronounced effects. SIRT7i partially reversed the pro-angiogenic effects of GBE in CI rats (P<0.05). Therefore, GBE can improve angiogenesis-related responses after CI in rats and alleviate brain tissue damage, which may be related to the activation of the SIRT7/VEGFA signaling pathway.
Keywords: Ginkgo biloba extract; cerebral infarction; sirtuin 7/vascular endothelial growth factor A signaling pathway; angiogenesis; neurological function
（Acta Laser Biology Sinica, 2026, 35(4): 376-384）