BACKGROUND: Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) can reduce neuronal apoptosis following ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Mechanism of the phenomenon should be elucidated. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to observe the effect of bFGF on the expressions of Dickkopf-1(DKK-1) and β-catenin in the Wnt pathway in hippocampal tissue of rats following brain I/R injury, in order to investigate the role of Wnt pathway in the formation of ischemic brain injury. DESIGN: Randomized controlled experiment. SETTING: Shenyang Medical College. MATERIALS: Thirty healthy 3 months old male Wistar rats, weighing 300–350 g, were provided by the Experimental Animal Center of Shenyang Medical College. Thirty rats were randomized into sham-operation group, model group and treatment group. Goat anti-rat monoclonal antibody β-catenin was purchased from SANTA CRUZ Company. BFGF was developed by Beijing SL Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. METHODS: This experiment was carried out in the Shenyang Medical College between November 2005 and May 2006. ①Focal brain I/R by suture-occluded method was modeled in rats in the treatment group and model group. Their middle cerebral artery was occluded 1 hour and reperfused for 24 hours. While in the sham-operation group, only the right common carotid artery and external carotid artery of rats were occluded for 90 minutes. ② The rats in the treatment group were intraperitoneally injected with 10 μg/kg bFGF, and those in the other groups were intraperitoneally injected with the same amount of saline. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Following I/R 48 hours, the expressions of β-catenin and Dickkopf-1 mRNA in the neurons of hippocampal CA1 region by immunohistochemical SABC and RT-PCR. RESULTS: Following I/R 48 hours, the expressions of β-catenin and Dickkopf-1 mRNA in the neurons of hippocampal CA1 region was evaluated by means of immunohistochemical SABC and RT-PCR. ① Expression of DKK-1 mRNA in the sham-operation group was at low level, it was significantly higher in the model group compared to the sham-operation group; Expression of DKK-1 mRNA in the treatment group was significantly lower than that in the model group. ② Expression of β-catenin in the cerebral cortex and hippocampal cytoplasm of rats: The mean gray scale of β-catenin of model group was significantly lower than that of sham-operation group (74.27±2.65 vs. 111.36±5.39,P < 0.05); The mean gray scale of β-catenin of treatment group was significantly higher than that of model group (86.18±7.41 vs. 74.27± 2.65, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: bFGF may influence Wnt pathway by participating in the regulation of DKK-1 mRNA and β-catenin expressions, and thereby protect neurons. Background: Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) can reduce neuronal apoptosis following ischemia / reperfusion (I / R) injury. Mechanism of the phenomenon should be elucidated. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to observe the effect of bFGF on the expressions of Dickkopf-1 (DKK-1) and β-catenin in the Wnt pathway in hippocampal tissue of rats following brain I / R injury, in order to investigate the role of Wnt pathway in the formation of ischemic brain injury. SETTING: Shenyang Medical College. MATERIALS: Thirty healthy 3-month-old male Wistar rats, weighing 300-350 g, were provided by the Experimental Animal Center of Shenyang Medical College. Thirty rats were randomized into sham-operation group, model group and treatment group. Goat anti-rat monoclonal antibody β-catenin was purchased from SANTA CRUZ Company. BFGF was developed by Beijing SL Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. METHODS: This experiment was carried out in the Shenyang Medical Colleg e between November 2005 and May 2006. ①Focal brain I / R by suture-occluded method was modeled in rats in the treatment group and model group. Their middle cerebral artery was occluded for 1 hour and reperfused for 24 hours. While in the sham-operation group, only the right common carotid artery and external carotid artery of rats were occluded for 90 minutes. ② The rats in the treatment group were intraperitoneally injected with 10 μg / kg bFGF, and those in the other groups were intraperitoneally injected with the same amount of saline. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Following I / R 48 hours, the expressions of β-catenin and Dickkopf-1 mRNA in the neurons of hippocampal CA1 region by immunohistochemical SABC and RT-PCR. RESULTS: Following I / R 48 hours, the expressions of β-catenin and Dickkopf-1 mRNA in the neurons of hippocampal CA1 region were evaluated by means of immunohistochemical SABC and RT-PCR. ① Expression of DKK-1 mRNA in the sham-operation group was at low level, it was significant ly higher inthe model group compared to the sham-operation group; Expression of β-catenin in the cerebral cortex and hippocampal cytoplasm of rats: The mean gray scale of β-catenin of model group was significantly lower than that of sham-operation group (74.27 ± 2.65 vs. 111.36 ± 5.39, P <0.05); The mean gray scale of β-catenin of treatment group was significantly higher than that of model group (86.18 ± 7.41 vs. 74.27 ± 2.65, P <0.05) CONCLUSION: bFGF may influence Wnt pathway by participating in the regulation of DKK-1 mRNA and β-catenin expressions, and thereby protect neurons.