Pharmacological inhibition of TLR4-NOX4 signal protects against neuronal death in transient focal ischemia

Sci Rep. 2012:2:896. doi: 10.1038/srep00896. Epub 2012 Nov 28.

Abstract

Recent data have shown that TLR4 performs a key role in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury which serves as the origin of the immunological inflammatory reactions. However, the therapeutic effects of pharmacological inhibitions of TLR4 and its immediate down-stream pathway remain to be uncovered. In the present study, on mice, intracerebroventricular injection of resatorvid (TLR4 signal inhibitor; 0.01 μg) significantly reduced infarct volume and improved neurological score after middle cerebral artery occlusion and reperfusion. The levels of phospho-p38, nuclear factor-kappa B, and matrix metalloproteinase 9 expressions were significantly suppressed in the resatorvid-treated group. In addition, NOX4 associates with TLR4 after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion seen in mice and human. Genetic and pharmacological inhibitions of TLR4 each reduced NOX4 expression, leading to suppression of oxidative/nitrative stress and of neuronal apoptosis. These data suggest that resatorvid has potential as a therapeutic agent for stroke since it inhibits TLR4-NOX4 signaling which may be the predominant causal pathway.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Brain Ischemia / drug therapy*
  • Brain Ischemia / metabolism*
  • Brain Ischemia / physiopathology
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Cell Death / drug effects
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / drug therapy
  • Male
  • Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred Strains
  • Middle Aged
  • NADPH Oxidase 4
  • NADPH Oxidases / metabolism*
  • NF-kappa B / metabolism
  • Neurons / drug effects
  • Neurons / metabolism
  • Neurons / pathology
  • Oxidative Stress / drug effects
  • Reactive Oxygen Species / metabolism
  • Reperfusion Injury / prevention & control
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Sulfonamides / pharmacology*
  • Toll-Like Receptor 4 / metabolism*
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • NF-kappa B
  • Reactive Oxygen Species
  • Sulfonamides
  • TLR4 protein, human
  • Tlr4 protein, mouse
  • Toll-Like Receptor 4
  • ethyl 6-(N-(2-chloro-4-fluorophenyl)sulfamoyl)cyclohex-1-ene-1-carboxylate
  • NADPH Oxidase 4
  • NADPH Oxidases
  • NOX4 protein, human
  • Nox4 protein, mouse
  • Matrix Metalloproteinase 9