Pretreatment with melatonin exerts anti-inflammatory effects against ischemia/reperfusion injury in a rat middle cerebral artery occlusion stroke model.
Inflammatory response following cerebral ischemia/reperfusion plays a key pathogenic role in ischemic cerebral damage. Nitric oxide (NO), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) are important inflammatory mediators. Neuronal NO synthase (nNOS) is a major initial source of excessive NO during ischemia/reperfusion. Induction of COX-2 and infiltration of polymorphonuclear cells expressing MPO are critical factors in delayed inflammatory damage. Previously, we demonstrated that administration of melatonin before ischemia significantly reduced the infarct volume in a rat middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) stroke model. In this study, we examined the effect of pretreatment with melatonin at 5 mg/kg on the immunoreactivity (ir) for nNOS, COX-2, MPO, and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) at 24, 48, and 72 hr after right-sided endovascular MCAO for 1 hr in adult male Sprague-Dawley rats. Melatonin did not affect the hemodynamic parameters. When compared with rats with sham MCAO, ischemia/reperfusion led to an ipsilateral increase in cells with positive ir for nNOS (similar at all times) and in ir-GFAP (similar at all times). Ischemia/reperfusion led to appearance of cells with positive ir for COX-2 (greatest at 24 hr with a tendency to increase again at 72 hr) or MPO (greatest at 24 hr). A single dose of melatonin significantly lessened the ipsilateral increase in cells with positive ir for nNOS, COX-2 or MPO, but did not influence the ipsilateral change in ir-GFAP. Our results suggest that melatonin treatment mediates neuroprotection against ischemia/reperfusion injury partly via inhibition of the consequential inflammatory response.
Division of Neurology, University Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.
Zhong
Z
Pei
Raymond Tak Fai
RT
Cheung
D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D020244:Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008550:Melatonin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000378:metabolism; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I; D009195:Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
D000975:Antioxidants; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D007527:Isoenzymes; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D009195:Peroxidase; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I; C496322:Nos1 protein, rat; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases; D008550:Melatonin