Objective      To determine the effect of stem cell factor (SCF) combined with anti-interleukin 17A (anti-IL-17A) antibody on the prognosis of cerebral ischemia in mice. Methods      Mouse model of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) were induced in C57BL/6 mice by inserting nylon monofilament through the right common carotid artery for 60 min followed by reperfusion. Then the mice were respectively given normal saline (NS)

anti-IL-17A

SCF

anti-IL-17A+SCF through intraperitoneal injection after cerebral ischemia and reperfusion. The changes of cerebral infarct volumes

pathological injury severity and brain edema

neurological deficits

apoptosis and inflammatory response of neural cells after MCAO were observed in each group. Results      Compared with the NS group

the cerebral infarct volume

pathological injury severity and brain edema were significantly alleviated in the other treatment groups (P0.05). The neurological deficits were significantly improved (P0.05)

and the apoptosis of neurons was decreased in the treated groups (P0.05). Furthermore

the effect of anti-IL-17A+SCF treatment was better than that of anti-IL-17A and SCF alone treatment (P0.05). In addition

anti-IL-17A significantly reduced the expression levels of IL-17A and IL-1β in the brain tissues. Conclusion      SCF combined with anti-IL-17A can better improve the cerebral ischemia injury and promote the recovery of neurological function.