Sulforaphane preconditioning of the Nrf2/HO-1 defense pathway protects the cerebral vasculature against blood-brain barrier disruption and neurological deficits in stroke

TY - JOUR

T1 - Sulforaphane preconditioning of the Nrf2/HO-1 defense pathway protects the cerebral vasculature against blood-brain barrier disruption and neurological deficits in stroke

AU - Alfieri, Alessio

AU - Srivastava, Salil

AU - Siow, Richard C. M.

AU - Cash, Diana

AU - Modo, Michel

AU - Duchen, Michael R.

AU - Fraser, Paul A.

AU - Williams, Steven C. R.

AU - Mann, Giovanni E.

PY - 2013/12

Y1 - 2013/12

N2 - Disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and cerebral edema are the major pathogenic mechanisms leading to neurological dysfunction and death after ischemic stroke. The brain protects itself against infarction via activation of endogenous antioxidant defense mechanisms, and we here report the first evidence that sulforaphane-mediated preactivation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and its downstream target heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in the cerebral vasculature protects the brain against stroke. To induce ischemic stroke, Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to 70 min middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo) followed by 4, 24, or 72 h reperfusion. Nrf2 and HO-1 protein expression was upregulated in cerebral microvessels of pen-infarct regions after 4-72 h, with HO-1 preferentially associated with perivascular astrocytes rather than the cerebrovascular endothelium. In naive rats, treatment with sulforaphane increased Nrf2 expression in cerebral microvessels after 24 h. Upregulation of Nrf2 by sulforaphane treatment prior to transient MCAo (1 h) was associated with increased HO-1 expression in perivascular astrocytes in pen-infarct regions and cerebral endothelium in the infarct core. BBB disruption, lesion progression, as analyzed by MRI, and neurological deficits were reduced by sulforaphane pretreatment. As sulforaphane pretreatment led to a moderate increase in peroxynitrite generation, we suggest that hormetic preconditioning underlies sulforaphane-mediated protection against stroke. In conclusion, we propose that pharmacological or dietary interventions aimed to precondition the brain via activation of the Nrf2 defense pathway in the cerebral microvasculature provide a novel therapeutic approach for preventing BBB breakdown and neurological dysfunction in stroke.

AB - Disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and cerebral edema are the major pathogenic mechanisms leading to neurological dysfunction and death after ischemic stroke. The brain protects itself against infarction via activation of endogenous antioxidant defense mechanisms, and we here report the first evidence that sulforaphane-mediated preactivation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and its downstream target heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in the cerebral vasculature protects the brain against stroke. To induce ischemic stroke, Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to 70 min middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo) followed by 4, 24, or 72 h reperfusion. Nrf2 and HO-1 protein expression was upregulated in cerebral microvessels of pen-infarct regions after 4-72 h, with HO-1 preferentially associated with perivascular astrocytes rather than the cerebrovascular endothelium. In naive rats, treatment with sulforaphane increased Nrf2 expression in cerebral microvessels after 24 h. Upregulation of Nrf2 by sulforaphane treatment prior to transient MCAo (1 h) was associated with increased HO-1 expression in perivascular astrocytes in pen-infarct regions and cerebral endothelium in the infarct core. BBB disruption, lesion progression, as analyzed by MRI, and neurological deficits were reduced by sulforaphane pretreatment. As sulforaphane pretreatment led to a moderate increase in peroxynitrite generation, we suggest that hormetic preconditioning underlies sulforaphane-mediated protection against stroke. In conclusion, we propose that pharmacological or dietary interventions aimed to precondition the brain via activation of the Nrf2 defense pathway in the cerebral microvasculature provide a novel therapeutic approach for preventing BBB breakdown and neurological dysfunction in stroke.

KW - Stroke

KW - Nrf2

KW - Hems oxygenase

KW - Gliovascular complex

KW - Blood-brain barrier

KW - Sulforaphane

KW - Preconditioning

KW - TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR NRF2

KW - HEME OXYGENASE-1 GENE

KW - OXIDATIVE STRESS

KW - NEUROVASCULAR PROTECTION

KW - ARTERY OCCLUSION

KW - ISCHEMIC BRAIN

KW - RAT-BRAIN

KW - PERMEABILITY TRANSITION

KW - BEHAVIORAL-ASSESSMENT

KW - MOLECULAR-MECHANISMS

U2 - 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2013.08.190

DO - 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2013.08.190

M3 - Article

C2 - 24017972

SN - 0891-5849

VL - 65

SP - 1012

EP - 1022

JO - Free Radical Biology and Medicine

JF - Free Radical Biology and Medicine

ER -