The present study aimed to explore the effects of Eerdun-Wurile on brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and nerve growth factor (NGF) expressions in the prefrontal cortex of MCAO / R injury rats.Sixty SD male rats of SPF grade were selected to establish the model of MCAO / R with Zea-Longa thread occlusion,and divided into five groups at random:the sham operation group,the model group,the nimodipine group and the Eerdun-Wurile group.After modeling,rats were anesthetized for preparing the brains.The pathomorphological changes of the brains were evaluated by immunohistochemical techniques,such as HE staining and SP.The protein and mRNA expressions of BDNF and NGF in the prefrontal cortex of rats were detected by ELISA and RT-PCR,respectively.As a result,compared with the model group,it was found that the number of necrotic cells in the prefrontal cortex were significantly reduced in the Eerdun-Wurile group (P ＜ 0.05),while the mRNA and protein expressions of BDNF and NGF were significantly increased (P ＜ 0.05).In conclusion,the BDNF and NGF expressions in the prefrontal cortex were up-regulated for stimulating the activation of astrocytes and protecting the neurons with the treatment of Eerdun-Wurile in MCAO / R injured rats,which may be the mechanism of the treatment of Eerdun-Wurile for white vein disease.