• Guang-Yu Ying, Chao-Hui Jing, Jian-Ru Li, Cheng Wu, Feng Yan, Jing-Yin Chen, Lin Wang, Brandon J Dixon, and Gao Chen.
• ‡Department of Neurosurgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; §Department of Neurosurgery, XinHua Hospital, Affiliated With Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; ¶Department of Neurosurgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Affiliated With Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; ‖Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, California.
• Neurosurgery. 2016 Aug 1; 79 (2): 286-95.

BackgroundBlood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption and neural apoptosis are thought to promote early brain injury (EBI) after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Previous studies have demonstrated that valproic acid (VPA) decreased brain injury in a prechiasmatic injection model of SAH in mice. It should be noted that the beneficial effects of VPA and the underlying mechanisms have not been fully elucidated.ObjectiveTo characterize the effects of VPA on BBB disruption and neural apoptosis and to determine mechanisms involved in EBI after SAH.MethodsAn endovascular perforation model was used to induce SAH in rats. VPA (300 mg/kg) was promptly administered after SAH induction, and the same dose was given 12 hours later. Quercetin (100 mg/kg), an inhibitor of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), was injected into the peritoneum 2 hours before SAH induction. Mortality, SAH grades, neurological function, Evans Blue extravasation, brain edema, transmission electron microscopy, Western blot, double fluorescence labeling, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end-labeling staining also were used.ResultsVPA treatment decreased BBB disruption and brain edema, attenuated neural apoptosis, and improved neurobehavioral functions in EBI after SAH. Double fluorescence labeling indicated that matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP-9) was located predominately in neurons and endothelial cells. VPA upregulated the expression of HSP70, effectively decreased the expression and activity of MMP-9, and reduced claudin-5 and occludin degradation. Meanwhile, VPA also upregulated the expression of phosphorylated Akt and bcl-2. Both the anti-BBB disruption and antiapoptotic effects of VPA were abolished by quercetin.ConclusionVPA prevented BBB disruption and alleviated neural apoptosis after SAH. The action of VPA appeared to be mediated though the HSP70/MMPs and HSP70/Akt pathways.AbbreviationsBBB, blood-brain barrierEBI, early brain injuryHSP, heat shock proteinMMP, matrix metalloproteinasePBS, phosphate-buffered salineSAH, subarachnoid hemorrhageTUNEL, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick-end labelingVPA, valproic acid.

40 keywords...

hide…