Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), a prevalent cerebrovascular condition associated with a high mortality rate, frequently results in neuronal apoptosis and an unfavorable prognosis. The adjunctive use of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with surgical interventions exerts a therapeutic impact on SAH, potentially by facilitating apoptosis. However, the mechanism by which TCM mediates apoptosis following SAH remains unclear. In the present study, C57BL/6J mice were subjected to the modified single‑clamp puncture method to produce an in vivo model of SAH. Treatment of these mice with notoginsenoside R1 (NGR1) prevented short‑term neurological deficits, reduced the expression levels of apoptosis‑associated proteins and mitigated brain edema. In addition, an in vitro model of SAH was established by treating HT22 mouse neuronal cells with oxyhemoglobin (OxyHb). Treatment of these cells with NGR1 resulted in attenuation of the OxyHb‑induced apoptosis. Furthermore, RNA sequencing analysis was used to examine NGR1 + OxyHb and OxyHb groups. Statistically significant changes in the expression levels of apoptosis‑associated genes in OxyHb‑stimulated HT22 cells upon administration of NGR1 were observed. The present study investigated the potential mechanism by which NGR1 mitigates neuronal apoptosis, presenting a novel therapeutic approach for treating SAH through the use of a single TCM component.
Keywords: HT22; apoptosis; integrin subunit α11; notogin‑senoside R1; subarachnoid hemorrhage.