title: Delayed administration of deferoxamine reduces brain damage and promotes functional recovery after transient focal cerebral ischemia in the rat.
abstract: The mechanisms underlying functional recovery after stroke are poorly understood. Brain-adaptive responses to the hypoxic stress elicited by ischemia could contribute to these mechanisms. Indeed, hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1), one of the main transcriptional factors regulated by oxygen level, increases the expression of several beneficial genes such as erythropoietin, glucose transporter-1 and vascular endothelial growth factor. In order to strengthen the expression of these hypoxia-inducible factors, we administered deferoxamine, an iron chelator known to stabilize HIF-1alpha protein expression, and examined its effects on the functional deficits induced by ischemia. Anesthetized Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to 60 min of intraluminal occlusion of the middle cerebral artery. Chronic deferoxamine treatment (300 mg/kg, s.c.), or its vehicle, started 24 h after ischemia and was continued bi-weekly until the animals were killed. Sensorimotor deficits were periodically assessed over 2 months, and at this end point, the lesion volume was determined by histology. Treatment with deferoxamine significantly decreased the size of brain damage (-28%) after ischemia and improved behavioral recovery. Indeed, neurological score and sensorimotor performances in the adhesive removal test recovered earlier in the deferoxamine-treated animals. Moreover, the long-lasting skilled forepaw reaching deficits were attenuated by deferoxamine. Although an antioxidant effect of deferoxamine cannot be excluded, the hypothesis that its beneficial effects could be mediated by an increase in HIF-1 target genes merits further investigations. Our data suggest that delayed administration of deferoxamine could represent an interesting therapeutical approach to treat focal cerebral ischemia.
authors.affiliation: CNRS UMR 6185, Cyceron, University of Caen Basse-Normandie, Bvd H. Becquerel F-14074 Caen cedex, France. thomas.freret@unicaen.fr
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Freret
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Valable
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chazalviel
authors.forename: Romaric
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Saulnier
authors.forename: Eric T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Mackenzie
authors.forename: Edwige
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Petit
authors.forename: Myriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bernaudin
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boulouard
authors.forename: Pascale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schumann-Bard
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D003676:Deferoxamine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit / Q000096:biosynthesis; D020244:Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000150:complications; D007502:Iron Chelating Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: C497444:Hif1a protein, rat; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit; D007502:Iron Chelating Agents; D003676:Deferoxamine