Salvianolic Acid B Enhances Motor Function Recovery after Spinal Cord Injury in Association with AKT/mTOR/HIF-1α Pathway Activation and Angiogenesis
Abstract
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating condition with limited treatment options. Salvianolic acid B (SalB), a natural compound from Salvia miltiorrhiza, shows therapeutic potential, but its mechanisms in SCI remain unclear. This study integrated network pharmacology and experimental validation to investigate the effects of SalB. We combined network pharmacology, molecular docking, and in vivo experiments using a rat SCI model, and applied the AKT inhibitor Capivasertib (AZD5363) for mechanistic verification. Network analysis identified 188 SalB-SCI common targets primarily in the AKT pathway, and molecular docking predicted strong binding between SalB and AKT1. In rats, SalB improved motor function, reduced tissue damage, and enhanced neuronal survival in association with activation of the AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)/hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) axis and promoted angiogenesis, while these effects were reversed by AZD5363. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that SalB treatment is associated with activation of the AKT/mTOR/HIF-1α pathway and enhanced angiogenesis, which correlate with improved functional recovery after SCI. These results provide experimental evidence for the multi-target reparative mechanisms of SalB and highlight its promise as a therapeutic intervention for SCI.
Related
- Pericyte Snai1 ablation prevents pathological angiogenesis in retinopathy via extracellular matrix remodelling-mediated inhibition of endothelial cell activation
- Enzymatic Hydrolysate of Red Yeast Rice Accelerates Diabetic Wound Healing in Mice: Association with Modulation of Inflammatory, Matrix-Remodeling, and Angiogenesis-Related Markers
- Salvianolic acid B antagonizes hepatocarcinogenesis by inhibiting the p300/pSmad2 complex
- Topical application of urolithin A activates mitophagy and enhances mitochondrial function to promote skin longevity
- AARS1‐Mediated RUNX3 K193 Lactylation Enhances the Activation and Cytotoxicity of CD8+T Cells in Smoking‐Related Emphysema
BibTeX
@article{yao2026salvianolic,
title = {{Salvianolic Acid B Enhances Motor Function Recovery after Spinal Cord Injury in Association with AKT/mTOR/HIF-1α Pathway Activation and Angiogenesis}},
author = {Jiange Yao and Yingfeng Chen and Fengjun Pan and Susu Zhang},
journal = {Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1248/bpb.b26-00280},
url = {https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/bpb/49/8/49_b26-00280/_article},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Salvianolic Acid B Enhances Motor Function Recovery after Spinal Cord Injury in Association with AKT/mTOR/HIF-1α Pathway Activation and Angiogenesis
AU - Jiange Yao
AU - Yingfeng Chen
AU - Fengjun Pan
AU - Susu Zhang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/27
JO - Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin
DO - 10.1248/bpb.b26-00280
UR - https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/bpb/49/8/49_b26-00280/_article
AB - Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating condition with limited treatment options. Salvianolic acid B (SalB), a natural compound from Salvia miltiorrhiza, shows therapeutic potential, but its mechanisms in SCI remain unclear. This study integrated network pharmacology and experimental validation to investigate the effects of SalB. We combined network pharmacology, molecular docking, and in vivo experiments using a rat SCI model, and applied the AKT inhibitor Capivasertib (AZD5363) for mechanistic verification. Network analysis identified 188 SalB-SCI common targets primarily in the AKT pathway, and molecular docking predicted strong binding between SalB and AKT1. In rats, SalB improved motor function, reduced tissue damage, and enhanced neuronal survival in association with activation of the AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)/hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) axis and promoted angiogenesis, while these effects were reversed by AZD5363. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that SalB treatment is associated with activation of the AKT/mTOR/HIF-1α pathway and enhanced angiogenesis, which correlate with improved functional recovery after SCI. These results provide experimental evidence for the multi-target reparative mechanisms of SalB and highlight its promise as a therapeutic intervention for SCI.
SN - 1347-5215
SN - 0918-6158
ER -