Fig. 1

The neuroprotective role of salidroside (SLDS) on MCAO in mice. a Timeline for selecting the optimal dose after stroke in mice. SLDS, at 2.5, 5, 10, and 20 mg/kg/day (or PBS), was administered to the mice daily via the caudal vein. b Timeline for determining the role of SLDS in microglial polarization after MCAO in mice. SLDS (10 mg/kg/day) or PBS was administered to the mice daily via the caudal vein. c Chemical structure of SLDS. d SLDS treatment reduced infarct volume. Representative brain slices with infarcts stained by triphenyltetrazolium chloride from each group at 72 h after MCAO. e Quantification of infarct volume at 3 days after MCAO. n = 10–12 per group. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, vs. vehicle group, by one-way ANOVA and Tukey’s test. f Quantification of neurological function scores at 72 h after focal ischemia. SLDS treatment improved neurological functions. n = 10–12 per group. *P < 0 .05, ***P < 0.001, vs. vehicle group, by one-way ANOVA and Tukey’s test. g Representative brain slices were stained to detect brain loss by hematoxylin and eosin (H & E) staining. h Quantification of brain loss. SLDS treatment reduced brain loss at 14 days after cerebral ischemia. n = 12 per group. *P < 0.05, by Student’s t test. i Quantification of neurological function scores after MCAO. n = 11 in the vehicle group; n = 10 in the SLDS group. *P < 0.05 vs. the corresponding days in the vehicle groups, by two-way ANOVA and Sidak’s multiple comparisons test. j Quantification of rotarod test after focal cerebral ischemia. n = 12 per group. ***P < 0.001, by two-way ANOVA and Sidak’s multiple comparisons test. All data are expressed as mean ± SEM