title: Tocilizumab inhibits neuronal cell apoptosis and activates STAT3 in cerebral infarction rat model.
abstract: Cerebral infarction is a severe hypoxic ischemic necrosis with accelerated neuronal cell apoptosis in the brain. As a monoclonal antibody against interleukin 6, tocilizumab (TCZ) is widely used in immune diseases, whose function in cerebral infarction has not been studied. This study aims to reveal the role of TCZ in regulating neuronal cell apoptosis in cerebral infarction. The cerebral infarction rat model was constructed by middle cerebral artery occlusion and treated with TCZ. Cell apoptosis in hippocampus and cortex of the brain was examined with TUNEL method. Rat neuronal cells cultured in oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) conditions and treated with TCZ were used to compare cell viability and apoptosis. Apoptosis-related factors including B-cell lymphoma extra large (Bcl-xL) and Caspase 3, as well as the phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (p-STAT3) in brain cortex were analyzed from the protein level. Results indicated that TCZ treatment could significantly prevent the promoted cell apoptosis caused by cerebral infarction or OGD (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). In brain cortex of the rat model, TCZ up-regulated Bcl-xL and down-regulated Caspase 3, consistent with the inhibited cell apoptosis. It also promoted tyrosine 705 phosphorylation of STAT3, which might be the potential regulatory mechanism of TCZ in neuronal cells. This study provided evidence for the protective role of TCZ against neuronal cell apoptosis in cerebral infarction. Based on these fundamental data, TCZ is a promising option for treating cerebral infarction, but further investigations on related mechanisms are still necessary.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Xianyang Hospital of Yan'an University, Xianyang, Shaanxi, China.. wangshaojun2350@126.com.
authors.forename: Shaojun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Weijie
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Zhaoni
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Hezuo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D065767:Activation, Metabolic / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D005947:Glucose / Q000172:deficiency; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000473:pathology; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D015850:Interleukin-6; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; C494088:Stat3 protein, rat; C502936:tocilizumab; D005947:Glucose