VEGFA and brain ischemia: In contrast, a study on cerebral ischemia revealed that the HIF-1α/VEGF signaling pathway was downregulated during the treatment period; this suppression, in turn, activated the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, thereby improving brain microenvironment in rats with MCAO.348 The conflicting outcomes of these findings can be attributed to the intricate interplay and complexity of mechanisms between these signaling pathways.