Role of NADPH Oxidase-Induced Hypoxia-Induced Factor-1α Increase in Blood-Brain Barrier Disruption after 2-Hour Focal Ischemic Stroke in Rat

We recently showed that inhibition of hypoxia-induced factor-1α (HIF-1α) decreased acute ischemic stroke-induced blood-brain barrier (BBB) damage. However, factors that induce the upregulation of HIF-1α expression remain unclear. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase played a critical role in reperfusion-induced BBB damage after stroke. However, the role of NADPH oxidase in BBB injury during the acute ischemia stage remains unclear. This study is aimed at investigating the role of NADPH oxidase in BBB injury and the expression of HIF-1α after acute ischemic stroke. A sutured middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model was used to mimic ischemic stroke in rats. Our results show that the inhibition of NADPH oxidase by apocynin can significantly reduce the BBB damage caused by 2 h ischemic stroke accompanied by reducing the degradation of tight junction protein occludin. In addition, treatment with apocynin significantly decreased the upregulation of HIF-1α induced by 2 h MCAO. More importantly, apocynin could also inhibit the MMP-2 upregulation. Of note, HIF-1α was not colocalized with a bigger blood vessel. Taken together, our results showed that inhibition of NADPH oxidase-mediated HIF-1α upregulation reduced BBB damage accompanied by downregulating MMP-2 expression and occludin degradation after 2 h ischemia stroke. These results explored the mechanism of BBB damage after acute ischemic stroke and may help reduce the associated cerebral hemorrhage transformation after thrombolysis and endovascular treatment after ischemic stroke.

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Effects of fasudil on blood-brain barrier integrity

10.21203/rs.3.rs-1116440/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Kei Sato ◽

Shinsuke Nakagawa ◽

Yoichi Morofuji ◽

Yuki Matsunaga ◽

Takashi Fujimoto ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Endothelial Cells ◽

Ischemic Stroke ◽

Tight Junction ◽

Acute Ischemic Stroke ◽

Blood Brain Barrier ◽

Tight Junction Protein ◽

Brain Barrier ◽

Blood Brain ◽

Junction Protein ◽

Culture Models

Abstract Background Cerebral infarction accounts for 85% of all stroke cases. Even in an era of rapid and effective recanalization using an intravascular approach, the majority of patients have poor functional outcomes. Thus, there is an urgent need for the development of therapeutic agents to treat acute ischemic stroke. We evaluated the effect of fasudil, a Rho kinase inhibitor, on blood brain barrier (BBB) functions under normoxia or oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) conditions using a primary cell-based in vitro BBB model. Medhods: BBB models from rat primary cultures (brain capillary endothelial cells, astrocytes, and pericytes) were subjected to either normoxia or 6-hour OGD/24-hour reoxygenation. To assess the effects of fasudil on BBB functions, we evaluated real time impedance, transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER), sodium fluorescein permeability, and tight junction protein expression using immunohistochemistry and western blotting. Lastly, to understand the observed protective mechanism on BBB functions by fasudil we examined the role of cyclooxygenase-2 and thromboxane A2 receptor agonist U-46619 in BBB-forming cells. Results We found that treatment with 0.3–30 µM of fasudil increased cellular impedance. Fasudil enhanced barrier properties in a concentration-dependent manner, as measured by an increased (TEER) and decreased permeability. Fasudil also increased the expression of tight junction protein claudin-5. Reductions in TEER and increased permeability were observed after OGD/reoxygenation exposure in mono- and co-culture models. The improvement in BBB integrity by fasudil was confirmed in both of the models, but was significantly higher in the co-culture than in the monoculture model. Treatment with U-46619 did not show significant changes in TEER in the monoculture model, whereas it showed a significant reduction in TEER in the co-culture model. Fasudil significantly improved the U-46619-induced TEER reduction in the co-culture models. Pericytes and astrocytes have opposite effects on endothelial cells and may contribute to endothelial injury in hyperacute ischemic stroke. Overall, fasudil protects the integrity of BBB both by a direct protective effect on endothelial cells and by a pathway mediated via pericytes and astrocytes. Conclusions Our findings suggest that fasudil is a BBB-protective agent against acute ischemic stroke.

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Abstract TP340: The Level of Occludin in Blood as a Potential Biomarker for Blood-Brain Barrier Damage and Predicting Hemorrhage Transformation After Acute Ischemic Stroke

Stroke ◽

10.1161/str.51.suppl_1.tp340 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 51 (Suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Zhifeng Qi ◽

Ke Jian Liu

Keyword(s):

Ischemic Stroke ◽

Acute Ischemic Stroke ◽

Blood Brain Barrier ◽

Brain Infarction ◽

Critical Role ◽

Onset Time ◽

Brain Barrier ◽

Cerebral Microvessels ◽

Blood Brain ◽

Potential Biomarker

Fear of hemorrhage transformation (HT) has been the primary reason for withholding the effective recanalization therapies (thrombolysis or thrombectomy) from most acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients. Currently there is no reliable indicator available to predict HT before recanalization. The degradation of tight junction proteins plays a critical role in blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption in ischemic stroke. We hypothesize that since occludin fragment in peripheral blood is derived from the degradation of occludin on cerebral microvessels, elevated blood occludin level directly reflects BBB disruption and may serve as a biomarker for BBB damage to predict the risk of HT after recanalization. In this study, we determined occludin fragment in the blood of rats, non-human primates and human patients after AIS using ELISA assay, and evaluated its level with BBB damage, HT, and other neurological outcomes. We found that ischemia induced rapid occludin degradation and BBB disruption, while occludin fragment was released into the blood circulation. Cerebral ischemia resulted in a dramatic increase of occludin fragments in rat blood samples after 4-hr ischemia, which was correlated well with occludin loss from ischemic cerebral microvessels. In the blood sample from ischemic rhesus monkeys, occludin level significantly increased after 2h ischemia from baseline, which correlated well with brain infarction shown in MRI images. We further collected the sera of AIS patients as early as they arrived at hospital. Our results indicated that the level of occludin increased in accord with ischemia onset time and neurological dysfunctions. The level of blood occludin in AIS patients with HT was much higher that those without HT. Together, our findings from rats, non-human primates and patients suggest that the level of occludin fragment in blood could serve as a biomarker for HT and neurological outcome following AIS, which could be used to safely guide recanalization for AIS in the clinic.

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