Fingolimod protects against neurovascular unit injury in a rat model of focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury

• Published in: Neural regeneration research Vol. 18; no. 4; pp. 869 - 874
• Main Authors: Zhu, Xiao-Yu, Ma, Ting-Ting, Li, Yang, Zhang, Ming-Qi, Zhao, Liang, Liang, Jia, Min, Lian-Qiu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Mumbai Wolters Kluwer India Pvt. Ltd 01.04.2023; Medknow Publications & Media Pvt. Ltd; Department of Neurology,The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University,Jinzhou,Liaoning Province,China%Institution of Life Science,Jinzhou Medical University,Jinzhou,Liaoning Province,China%School of Pharmacy,Jinzhou Medical University,Jinzhou,Liaoning Province,China; Wolters Kluwer - Medknow; Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
• Subjects: astrocyte; blood-brain barrier; claudin-5; fty-720; interleukin-17a; ischemic stroke; neural protection; neurovascular unit; occludin; sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 1; Ischemia; blood-brain barrier; occludin; FTY-720; sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 1; interleukin-17A; astrocyte; ischemic stroke; claudin-5; neural protection; neurovascular unit
• ISSN: 1673-5374; 1876-7958
• DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.353500

Recent research on the underlying mechanisms of cerebral ischemia indicates that the neurovascular unit can be used as a novel subject for general surveys of neuronal damage and protein mechanisms. Fingolimod (FTY-720) is a newly developed immunosuppressant isolated from Cordyceps sinensis that exhibits a wide range of biological activities, and has recently attracted much attention for the treatment of ischemic cerebrovascular diseases. In the current research, the role of FTY-720 and its possible mechanisms were assessed from an neurovascular unit perspective using a rat cerebral ischemia model. Our results revealed that FTY-720 markedly decreased infarct volume, promoted neurological function recovery, and weakened the blood-brain barrier permeability of ischemic rats. The protective roles of FTY-720 in ischemic stroke are ascribed to a combination of sphingosin-1-phosphate receptor-1 and reduced expression of sphingosin-1-phosphate receptor-1 in microvessels and reduction of interleukin-17A protein levels. These findings indicate that FTY-720 has promise as a new therapy for neurovascular protection and functional recovery after ischemic stroke.