2-(2-Benzofuranyl)-2-imidazoline treatment within 5 hours after cerebral ischemia/reperfusion protects the brain

The impact of aging and oxidative stress in metabolic and nervous system disorders: programmed cell death and molecular signal transduction crosstalk

Life expectancy is increasing throughout the world and coincides with a rise in non-communicable diseases (NCDs), especially for metabolic disease that includes diabetes mellitus (DM) and neurodegenerative disorders. The debilitating effects of metabolic disorders influence the entire body and significantly affect the nervous system impacting greater than one billion people with disability in the peripheral nervous system as well as with cognitive loss, now the seventh leading cause of death worldwide. Metabolic disorders, such as DM, and neurologic disease remain a significant challenge for the treatment and care of individuals since present therapies may limit symptoms but do not halt overall disease progression. These clinical challenges to address the interplay between metabolic and neurodegenerative disorders warrant innovative strategies that can focus upon the underlying mechanisms of aging-related disorders, oxidative stress, cell senescence, and cell death. Programmed cell death pathways that involve autophagy, apoptosis, ferroptosis, and pyroptosis can play a critical role in metabolic and neurodegenerative disorders and oversee processes that include insulin resistance, β-cell function, mitochondrial integrity, reactive oxygen species release, and inflammatory cell activation. The silent mating type information regulation 2 homolog 1 (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) (SIRT1), AMP activated protein kinase (AMPK), and Wnt1 inducible signaling pathway protein 1 (WISP1) are novel targets that can oversee programmed cell death pathways tied to β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), nicotinamide, apolipoprotein E (APOE), severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2) exposure with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and trophic factors, such as erythropoietin (EPO). The pathways of programmed cell death, SIRT1, AMPK, and WISP1 offer exciting prospects for maintaining metabolic homeostasis and nervous system function that can be compromised during aging-related disorders and lead to cognitive impairment, but these pathways have dual roles in determining the ultimate fate of cells and organ systems that warrant thoughtful insight into complex autofeedback mechanisms.

2-BFI attenuates ischemic injury by modulating mTOR signaling and neuroinflammation in rats

Ischemic stroke is one of the major diseases that cause mortality and morbidity of human beings, but there is still lack of effective treatment and prevention. We found that 2-(2-Benzofuranyl)-2-Imidazoline (2-BFI) is potently protective against stroke and acute inflammatory immune disease. Moreover, the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling contributes effectively to the modulation of post-stroke neuroinflammatory response. However, whether the protection of 2-BFI against ischemic injury is through mTOR-mediated neuroinflammatory response remains unestablished. Here, we used 2-BFI to treat ischemic rats induced by distal middle cerebral artery occlusion (dMCAO). We found that 2-BFI administration after dMCAO improved the neurological deficits and decreased the infarct volume. 2-BFI reduced phosphorylation of mTOR and p70S6, increased IL-10 and TGF-β, and decreased IFN-γ levels in ischemic rats. Our results demonstrated that 2-BFI attenuates ischemic injury by inhibiting the activation of mTOR signaling and modulating neuroinflammation after stroke in rats.

Combined Treatment With 2-(2-Benzofu-Ranyl)-2-Imidazoline and Recombinant Tissue Plasminogen Activator Protects Blood-Brain Barrier Integrity in a Rat Model of Embolic Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion

Recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) is used to treat acute ischemic stroke but is only effective if administered within 4.5 h after stroke onset. Delayed rt-PA treatment causes blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption and hemorrhagic transformation. The compound 2-(-2-benzofuranyl)-2-imidazoline (2-BFI), a newly discovered antagonist of high-affinity postsynaptic N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, has been shown to have neuroprotective effects in ischemia. Here, we investigated whether combining 2-BFI and rt-PA can ameliorate BBB disruption and prolong the therapeutic window in a rat model of embolic middle cerebral artery occlusion (eMCAO). Ischemia was induced in male Sprague Dawley rats by eMCAO, after which they were treated with 2-BFI (3 mg/kg) at 0.5 h in combination with rt-PA (10 mg/kg) at 6 or 8 h. Control rats were treated with saline or 2-BFI or rt-PA. Combined therapy with 2-BFI and rt-PA (6 h) reduced the infarct volume, denatured cell index, BBB permeability, and brain edema. This was associated with increased expression of aquaporin 4 (AQP4) and tight junction proteins (occludin and ZO-1) and downregulation of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) and matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9 (MMP2 and MMP9). We conclude that 2-BFI protects the BBB from damage caused by delayed rt-PA treatment in ischemia. 2-BFI may therefore extend the therapeutic window up to 6 h after stroke onset in rats and may be a promising therapeutic strategy for humans. However, mechanisms to explain the effects oberved in the present study are not yet elucidated.

[Lithium ascorbate as a cerebroprotective agent in a model of ischemic stroke]

INTRODUCTION

Ischemic stroke is one of the most severe neurological pathologies with high mortality and disability. In this connection, the development and study of new drugs for the prevention and treatment of stroke is an extremely important task. A new approach to neuroprotection is the use of lithium salts with antioxidant activity.

AIM

To study the cerebroprotective effect of lithium ascorbate on a rat model of ischemic stroke.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Test samples of lithium ascorbate were synthesized ex tempore for an experiment using reagents of ACS qualification (Sigma-Aldrich). The ischemic stroke model was realized using the filament occlusion of the middle cerebral artery in rats of the Sprague Dawley line according to standardized procedure. Neurological examination of the animals, histological study of brain tissue with staining of brain sections, and calculating the volume of cerebral infarction were performed.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

There is a significant cerebroprotective effect of lithium ascorbate expressed in a multiple decrease in the volume of the zone of cerebral infarction (by 75% of the control group indicator) and the absence of mortality in the experimental group of animals. Newly discovered distinct anti-stroke effect of lithium ascorbate in combination with low toxicity could be considered promising for further clinical studies and practical application in neurology.

2-BFI Provides Neuroprotection Against Inflammation and Necroptosis in a Rat Model of Traumatic Brain Injury

Inflammation and programmed necrosis (necroptosis) are the two hallmark pathological changes after traumatic brain injury (TBI) that contribute to aggravated brain damage. 2-(2-Benzofuranyl)-2-imidazoline (2-BFI) has been shown to exert both anti-inflammatory and programmed cell death effects. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the potential beneficial effects of 2-BFI in a rat model of TBI induced by a weight-drop device. 2-BFI or vehicle was given via intraperitoneal injection starting at 30 min post trauma and then twice daily for three consecutive days. Following a neurofunctional test at 72 h after injury, histological, molecular, and immunohistochemistry analyses were performed on the pericontusional areas of the brain. 2-BFI treatment significantly attenuated neurological deficits, brain edema and blood-brain barrier permeability after TBI. Also, treatment with 2-BFI significantly reduced microglial activation, neutrophil infiltration, and proinflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-1β secretion, which is related to nucleotide binding and oligomerization domain-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation after TBI. In addition, 2-BFI treatment markedly reduced cortical tissue loss as well as repressed TBI-induced increases in necroptosis and necroptosis-associated proteins, including receptor-interacting protein (RIP1), RIP3, and mixed linkage kinase domain-like (MLKL) in the pericontusional brain tissue. Taken together, these findings indicate that 2-BFI may be an effective neuroprotectant after brain trauma and warrants further study.