Anti-inflammatory effects of PJ34, a poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor, in transient focal cerebral ischemia in mice

Background and purpose: Activation of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) is deleterious during cerebral ischemia. We assessed the influence of PARP activation induced by cerebral ischemia on the synthesis of proinflammatory mediators including the cytokines, tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) and the adhesion molecules, E-Selectin and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1).

Experimental approach: Ischemia was induced by intravascular occlusion of the left middle cerebral artery for 1 h in male Swiss mice anaesthetized with ketamine and xylazine. The PARP Inhibitor PJ34 (1.25-25 mg kg(-1)) was administered intraperitoneally 15 min before and 4 hours after, the onset of ischemia. Animals were killed 6 h or 24 h after ischemia and cerebral tissue removed for analysis.

Key results: Ischemia increased TNF-alpha protein in cerebral tissue at 6 and 24 h after ischemia. All doses of PJ34 blocked the increase in TNF-alpha at 6 h and 25 mg kg(-1) PJ34 had a sustained effect for up to 24 h. Quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction showed that PJ34 (25 mg kg(-1)) reduced the increase in TNF-alpha mRNA by 70% at 6 h. PJ34 also prevented the increase in mRNAs encoding IL-6 (-41%), E-Selectin (-81%) and ICAM-1 (-54%). PJ34 (25 mg kg(-1)) reduced the infarct volume (-26%) and improved neurological deficit, 24 h after ischemia.

Conclusions and implications: PJ34 inhibited the increase in the mRNAs of four inflammatory mediators, caused by cerebral ischemia. The contribution of this effect of PJ34 to neuroprotection remains to be clarified.