VEGFA and ischemia: For instance, hydroxysafflor yellow A in safflower improved the function of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and increased VEGF-A in ECs in MI model mice via the HO-1/VEGF-A/SDF-1α signaling cascade, which then significantly recovered cardiac hemodynamics induced by ischemia, improved survival rate, and alleviated myocardial injury (22, 23).