title: Synergistic protective effect of caspase inhibitors and bFGF against brain injury induced by transient focal ischaemia.
abstract: We tested the hypothesis that combined use of trophic factors and caspase inhibitors increases brain resistance to ischaemia in mice. Intracerebroventricular administration of bFGF (>10 ng) 30 min after MCA occlusion decreased infarct size and neurological deficit in a dose-dependent manner following 2 h ischemia and reperfusion (20 h). Combined administration of the subthreshold doses of bFGF (3 ng) and caspase inhibitors (z-VAD.FMK, 27 ng or z-DEVD.FMK, 80 mg) reduced infarct volume by 60%, and reduced neurological deficit. Treatment with a subthreshold dose of bFGF (3 ng) extended the therapeutic window for z-DEVD.FMK (480 ng) from 1 to 3 h after reperfusion. Caspase-3 activity in the ischaemic brain was increased 30 min and 2 h after reperfusion but, was significantly reduced in bFGF-treated animals by 29 and 16%, respectively. Caspase-3 activity was not reduced by a direct bFGF effect because addition of bFGF (10 nM - 2 microM) did not decrease recombinant caspase-3 activity, in vitro. Our data show that combining caspase inhibitors and bFGF lengthens the treatment window for the second treatment, plus lowers the dosage requirements for neuroprotection. These findings are important because low doses of caspase inhibitors or bFGF reduce the possibility of side effects plus extend the short treatment window for ischaemic stroke.
authors.affiliation: Stroke and Neurovascular Regulation Laboratory, Neurology and Neurosurgery Services, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hirt
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dalkara
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Moskowitz
mesh_terms: D000590:Amino Acid Chloromethyl Ketones / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D053148:Caspase 3; D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004357:Drug Synergism; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000590:Amino Acid Chloromethyl Ketones; D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D009842:Oligopeptides; C110772:benzoylcarbonyl-aspartyl-glutamyl-valyl-aspartyl-fluoromethyl ketone; C096713:benzyloxycarbonylvalyl-alanyl-aspartyl fluoromethyl ketone; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; C505409:Casp3 protein, mouse; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases