Fig. 1

Laboratory techniques used in this study. A 4–0 suture coated with silicone rubber (a) was used for the MCAO induction. A programmable and motorized running wheel apparatus (b) was employed for the physical exercises post-cerebral ischemia. The design of this study (c). The intragastric administration of BYHWD began 2 h after the MCAO induction and was administered daily from Day 1 to 14 or until euthanasia. The physical exercises began on Day 3 post-ischemia and ended on Day 14 or euthanasia. The analytic modalities (neurobehavioral assessment, immunohistochemistry, and western blot) were performed on Day 3, 7 and 14 after the MCAO induction. Other techniques (TTC and TEM) were performed on Day 3 or 14 after the MCAO induction. BYHWD, Buyang Huanwu decoction; IHC, immunohistochemistry; MCAO, middle cerebral artery occlusion; NBA, neurobehavioral assessment; TEM, transmission electron microscope; TTC, triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining; WB, western-blot