Objective To investigate the role of neuroglobin (NGB) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) regulated by hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) in promoting angiogenesis after cerebral contusion and laceration.Methods Proteomic technology was used to compare differentially expressed proteins in the frontal lobe between patients with cerebral contusion and laceration and those with non-traumatic brain injury, and bioinformatics technology was used for the analysis and identification of differentially expressed proteins. Immunohistochemistry and ELISA were used to measure the expression of HIF-1, NGB, and VEGF in cerebral tissue and serum.Results The 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis profile was established for brain tissues from patients with cerebral contusion and laceration or non-traumatic brain injury, and 7 differentially expressed proteins were identified, including HIF-1, NGB, and VEGF. Immunohistochemistry showed that the patients with cerebral contusion and laceration had higher expression of HIF-1, NGB, and VEGF in brain tissue than those with non-traumatic brain injury. The results of ELISA showed that the patients with cerebral contusion and laceration had higher expression of HIF-1, NGB, and VEGF in serum than those with non-traumatic brain injury.Conclusions HIF-1 regulates the release of two target genes NGB and VEGF after cerebral contusion and laceration and thus plays an important role in cerebral angiogenesis. Changes in the serum levels of HIF-1, NGB, and VEGF can be used as a reference for clinical evaluation and monitoring of the severity of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. They also have important significance in the diagnosis, treatment, and outcome of cerebral contusion and laceration and await in-depth research.