title: The immunomodulatory sphingosine 1-phosphate analog FTY720 reduces lesion size and improves neurological outcome in a mouse model of cerebral ischemia.
abstract: Cerebral ischemia is accompanied by fulminant cellular and humoral inflammatory changes in the brain which contribute to lesion development after stroke. A tight interplay between the brain and the peripheral immune system leads to a biphasic immune response to stroke consisting of an early activation of peripheral immune cells with massive production of proinflammatory cytokines followed by a systemic immunosuppression within days of cerebral ischemia that is characterized by massive immune cell loss in spleen and thymus. Recent work has documented the importance of T lymphocytes in the early exacerbation of ischemic injury. The lipid signaling mediator sphingosine 1-phosphate-derived stable analog FTY720 (fingolimod) acts as an immunosuppressant and induces lymphopenia by preventing the egress of lymphocytes, especially T cells, from lymph nodes. We found that treatment with FTY720 (1mg/kg) reduced lesion size and improved neurological function after experimental stroke in mice, decreased the numbers of infiltrating neutrophils, activated microglia/macrophages in the ischemic lesion and reduced immunohistochemical features of apoptotic cell death in the lesion.
authors.affiliation: Pharmazentrum Frankfurt, Klinikum der Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
authors.forename: Bozena
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Czech
authors.forename: Waltraud
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Pfeilschifter
authors.forename: Niloufar
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mazaheri-Omrani
authors.forename: Marc André
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Strobel
authors.forename: Timo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kahles
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Neumann-Haefelin
authors.forename: Abdelhaq
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rami
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Huwiler
authors.forename: Josef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pfeilschifter
mesh_terms: D021581:Active Transport, Cell Nucleus; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D051033:Apoptosis Inducing Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000187:drug effects; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D000068876:Fingolimod Hydrochloride; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008246:Lysophospholipids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D017628:Microglia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D011409:Propylene Glycols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013110:Sphingosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D051033:Apoptosis Inducing Factor; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D008246:Lysophospholipids; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D011409:Propylene Glycols; C060506:sphingosine 1-phosphate; D000068876:Fingolimod Hydrochloride; D013110:Sphingosine