Journal of molecular neuroscience : MN
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Administration of recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) protects neurons from injury after brain ischemia-reperfusion (I/R), which is in part mediated by ameliorating the blood-brain barrier (BBB) leakage. But the mechanism of rhEPO's protective effects on BBB remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the effects of rhEPO on BBB integrity and the expressions of tight junctions (TJs) associated proteins of zonula occluden-1 (ZO-1), occludin, and claudin-5 in cerebral I/R rats. ⋯ Compared with I/R groups, the mRNA level of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in cerebral microvessels decreased markedly after rhEPO treatment, accompanied with reduced TNF-α protein level and nuclear factor-кB (NF-кB) p65 activation detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. These results suggested that the protective mechanism of rhEPO on BBB after cerebral I/R injury was associated with the upregulation of TJ-associated proteins. The downregulated TNF-α levels and NF-кB activation induced by rhEPO might be involved in this process.