Estradiol mediates colonic epithelial protection in aged mice after stroke and is associated with shifts in the gut microbiome.

The gut is a major source of bacteria and antigens that contribute to neuroinflammation after brain injury. Colonic epithelial cells (ECs) are responsible for secreting major cellular components of the innate defense system, including antimicrobial proteins (AMP) and mucins. These cells serve as a critical regulator of gut barrier function and maintain host-microbe homeostasis. In this study, we determined post-stroke host defense responses at the colonic epithelial surface in mice. We then tested if the enhancement of these epithelial protective mechanisms is beneficial in young and aged mice after stroke. AMPs were significantly increased in the colonic ECs of young males, but not in young females after experimental stroke. In contrast, mucin-related genes were enhanced in young females and contributed to mucus formation that maintains the distance between the host and gut bacteria. Bacterial community profiling was done using universal amplification of 16S rRNA gene sequences. The sex-specific colonic epithelial defense responses after stroke in young females were reversed with ovariectomy and led to a shift from a predominately mucin response to the enhanced AMP expression seen in males after stroke. Estradiol (E2) replacement prior to stroke in aged females increased mucin gene expression in the colonic ECs. Interestingly, we found that E2 treatment reduced stroke-associated neuronal hyperactivity in the insular cortex, a brain region that interacts with visceral organs such as the gut, in parallel to an increase in the composition of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium in the gut microbiota. This is the first study demonstrating sex differences in host defense mechanisms in the gut after brain injury.

Restoring a balanced pool of host-derived and microbiota-derived ligands of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor is beneficial after stroke.

Background: Stroke is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, and its incidence increases with age. While acute therapies for stroke are currently limited to intravenous thrombolytics and endovascular thrombectomy, recent studies have implicated an important role for the gut microbiome in post-stroke neuroinflammation. After stroke, several immuno-regulatory pathways, including the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) pathway, become activated. AHR is a master regulatory pathway that mediates neuroinflammation. Among various cell types, microglia (MG), as the resident immune cells of the brain, play a vital role in regulating post-stroke neuroinflammation and antigen presentation. Activation of AHR is dependent on a dynamic balance between host-derived and microbiota-derived ligands. While previous studies have shown that activation of MG AHR by host-derived ligands, such as kynurenine, is detrimental after stroke, the effects of post-stroke changes in microbiota-derived ligands of AHR, such as indoles, is unknown. Our study builds on the concept that differential activation of MG AHR by host-derived versus microbiome-derived metabolites affects outcomes after ischemic stroke. We examined the link between stroke-induced dysbiosis and loss of essential microbiota-derived AHR ligands. We hypothesize that restoring the balance between host-derived (kynurenine) and microbiota-derived (indoles) ligands of AHR is beneficial after stroke, offering a new potential avenue for therapeutic intervention in post-stroke neuroinflammation. Method: We performed immunohistochemical analysis of brain samples from stroke patients to assess MG AHR expression after stroke. We used metabolomics analysis of plasma samples from stroke and non-stroke control patients with matched comorbidities to determine the levels of indole-based AHR ligands after stroke. We performed transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in aged (18 months) wild-type (WT) and germ-free (GF) mice to investigate the effects of post-stroke treatment with microbiota-derived indoles on outcome. To generate our results, we employed a range of methodologies, including flow cytometry, metabolomics, and 16S microbiome sequencing. Results: We found that MG AHR expression is increased in human brain after stroke and after ex vivo oxygen-glucose deprivation and reperfusion (OGD/R). Microbiota-derived ligands of AHR are decreased in the human plasma at 24 hours after ischemic stroke. Kynurenine and indoles exhibited differential effects on aged WT MG survival after ex vivoOGD/R. We found that specific indole-based ligands of AHR (indole-3-propionic acid and indole-3-aldehyde) were absent in GF mice, thus their production depends on the presence of a functional gut microbiota. Additionally, a time-dependent decrease in the concentration of these indole-based AHR ligands occurred in the brain within the first 24 hours after stroke in aged WT mice. Post-stroke treatment of GF mice with a cocktail of microbiota-derived indole-based ligands of AHR regulated MG-mediated neuroinflammation and molecules involved in antigen presentation (increased CD80, MHC-II, and CD11b). Post-stroke treatment of aged WT mice with microbiota-derived indole-based ligands of AHR reduced both infarct volume and neurological deficits at 24 hours. Conclusion: Our novel findings provide compelling evidence that the restoration of a well-balanced pool of host-derived kynurenine-based and microbiota-derived indole-based ligands of AHR holds considerable therapeutic potential for the treatment of ischemic stroke.

POPDC1 scaffolds a complex of adenylyl cyclase 9 and the potassium channel TREK-1 in heart.

The establishment of macromolecular complexes by scaffolding proteins is key to the local production of cAMP by anchored adenylyl cyclase (AC) and the subsequent cAMP signaling necessary for cardiac functions. We identify a novel AC scaffold, the Popeye domain-containing (POPDC) protein. The POPDC family of proteins is important for cardiac pacemaking and conduction, due in part to their cAMP-dependent binding and regulation of TREK-1 potassium channels. We show that TREK-1 binds the AC9:POPDC1 complex and copurifies in a POPDC1-dependent manner with AC9 activity in heart. Although the AC9:POPDC1 interaction is cAMP-independent, TREK-1 association with AC9 and POPDC1 is reduced upon stimulation of the ß-adrenergic receptor (ßAR). AC9 activity is required for ßAR reduction of TREK-1 complex formation with AC9:POPDC1 and in reversing POPDC1 enhancement of TREK-1 currents. Finally, deletion of the gene-encoding AC9 (Adcy9) gives rise to bradycardia at rest and stress-induced heart rate variability, a milder phenotype than the loss of Popdc1 but similar to the loss of Kcnk2 (TREK-1). Thus, POPDC1 represents a novel adaptor for AC9 interactions with TREK-1 to regulate heart rate control.

Exogenous inter-α inhibitor proteins prevent cell death and improve ischemic stroke outcomes in mice.

Inter-α inhibitor proteins (IAIPs) are a family of endogenous plasma and extracellular matrix molecules. IAIPs suppress proinflammatory cytokines, limit excess complement activation, and bind extracellular histones to form IAIP-histone complexes, leading to neutralization of histone-associated cytotoxicity in models of sepsis. Many of these detrimental processes also play critical roles in the pathophysiology of ischemic stroke. In this study, we first assessed the clinical relevance of IAIPs in stroke and then tested the therapeutic efficacy of exogenous IAIPs in several experimental stroke models. IAIP levels were reduced in both ischemic stroke patients and in mice subjected to experimental ischemic stroke when compared with controls. Post-stroke administration of IAIP significantly improved stroke outcomes across multiple stroke models, even when given 6 hours after stroke onset. Importantly, the beneficial effects of delayed IAIP treatment were observed in both young and aged mice. Using targeted gene expression analysis, we identified a receptor for complement activation, C5aR1, that was highly suppressed in both the blood and brain of IAIP-treated animals. Subsequent experiments using C5aR1-knockout mice demonstrated that the beneficial effects of IAIPs are mediated in part by C5aR1. These results indicate that IAIP is a potential therapeutic candidate for the treatment of ischemic stroke.

The Relationship Between Plasma Oxytocin and Executive Functioning in Huntington's Disease: A Pilot Study.

The role of oxytocin (OT) in social cognition of patients with Huntington's disease (HD) has been studied, but its impact on executive functioning has not been explored yet. Healthy controls, premanifest HD, and manifest HD participants underwent executive functioning assessment and OT plasma measurement. There were no significant group differences in plasma OT levels. Higher OT levels were associated with better executive functioning in premanifest HD participants. Our findings revealed an association between OT levels and depressive symptoms in premanifest and manifest HD participants. The potential role of OT in HD deserves further investigation.

Lactobacillus reuteri effects on maternal separation stress in newborn mice.

BACKGROUND: Probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 (LR 17938) is beneficial to infants with colic. To understand its mechanism of action, we assessed ultrasonic vocalizations (USV) and brain pain/stress genes in newborn mice exposed to maternal separation stress. METHODS: Pups were exposed to unpredictable maternal separation (MSU or SEP) or MSU combined with unpredictable maternal stress (MSU + MSUS or S + S), from postnatal days 5 to 14. USV calls and pain/stress/neuroinflammation-related genes in the brain were analyzed. RESULTS: We defined 10 different neonatal call patterns, none of which increased after MSU. Stress reduced overall USV calls. Orally feeding LR 17938 also did not change USV calls after MSU. However, LR 17938 markedly increased vocalizations in mice allowed to stay with their dams. Even though LR 17938 did not change MSU-related calls, LR 17938 modulated brain genes related to stress and pain. Up-regulated genes following LR 17938 treatment were opioid peptides, kappa-opioid receptor 1 genes, and CD200, important in anti-inflammatory signaling. LR 17938 down-regulated CCR2 transcripts, a chemokine receptor, in the stressed neonatal brain. CONCLUSIONS: USV calls in newborn mice are interpreted as "physiological calls" instead of "cries." Feeding LR 17938 after MSU did not change USV calls but modulated cerebral genes favoring pain and stress reduction and anti-inflammatory signaling. IMPACT: We defined mouse ultrasonic vocalization (USV) call patterns in this study, which will be important in guiding future studies in other mouse strains. Newborn mice with maternal separation stress have reduced USVs, compared to newborn mice without stress, indicating USV calls may represent "physiological calling" instead of "crying." Oral feeding of probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 raised the number of calls when newborn mice continued to suckle on their dams, but not when mice were under stress. The probiotic bacteria had a dampening effect on monocyte activation and on epinephrine and glutamate-related stress gene expression in the mouse brain.

Microarray Profiling Reveals Distinct Circulating miRNAs in Aged Male and Female Mice Subjected to Post-stroke Social Isolation.

Social isolation (SI) increases ischemic injury and significantly delays recovery after experimental stroke. Changes in circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) have been implicated in several neurological disorders, including stroke. However, potential biomarkers to elucidate the mechanisms that underlie the detrimental effects of post-stroke isolation are unknown. Aged C57BL/6 male and female mice (18-20 months) were subjected to a 60-min middle cerebral artery occlusion followed by reperfusion and were assigned to either isolation (SI) or continued pair housing (PH) immediately after stroke. On day 15, mice were sacrificed, and plasma samples were collected for miRNAome analysis. Top candidate miRNAs and their biological functions were identified using integrated bioinformatics. The miRNAome analysis revealed a total of 21 differentially expressed miRNAs across both sexes with fold change of 3 or higher. Within the female cohort, miR-206-3p, -376a-3p, -34b-5p, -133a-5p, -466f, and -671-3p were highly altered relative to the PH housing condition. Similarly in males, miR-376c-3p, -181d-5p, -712-5p, -186-5p, -21a-3p, -30d-3p, -495-3p, -669c-5p, -335-5p, -429-3p, -31-3p, and -217-5p were identified. Following Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis, the identified miRNAs effected distinct subset of pathways within sexes. Interactional network analysis revealed miR-495-3p (male) and miR-34b-5p (female) as pivotal nodes that targeted the largest subset of genes. We identified several sex-specific miRNAs as candidate biomarkers for post-stroke SI in aged male and female mice. Additionally, these results suggest that there is potential to use plasma-based circulating miRNAs as a source of novel biomarkers to identify biological pathways involved in post-stroke SI.

Post-Stroke Social Isolation Reduces Cell Proliferation in the Dentate Gyrus and Alters miRNA Profiles in the Aged Female Mice Brain.

Social isolation and loneliness are risk factors for stroke. Elderly women are more likely to be isolated. Census data shows that in homeowners over the age of 65, women are much more likely to live alone. However, the underlying mechanisms of the detrimental effects of isolation have not been well studied in older females. In this study, we hypothesized that isolation impairs post-stroke recovery in aged female mice, leading to dysregulated microRNAs (miRNAs) in the brain, including those previously shown to be involved in response to social isolation (SI). Aged C57BL/6 female mice were subjected to a 60-min middle cerebral artery occlusion and were randomly assigned to either single housing (SI) or continued pair housing (PH) immediately after stroke for 15 days. SI immediately after stroke led to significantly more brain tissue loss after stroke and higher mortality. Furthermore, SI significantly delayed motor and sensory recovery and worsened cognitive function, compared to PH. A decrease in cell proliferation was seen in the dentate gyrus of SI mice assessed by bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling. miRNAome data analysis revealed changes in several miRNAs in the brain, such as miR-297a-3p and miR-200c-3p, which are known to regulate pathways involved in cell proliferation. In conclusion, our data suggest that SI can lead to a poor post-stroke recovery in aged females and dysregulation of miRNAs and reduced hippocampal cell proliferation.

Gut Microbiota-Derived Short-Chain Fatty Acids Promote Poststroke Recovery in Aged Mice.

RATIONALE: The elderly experience profound systemic responses after stroke, which contribute to higher mortality and more severe long-term disability. Recent studies have revealed that stroke outcomes can be influenced by the composition of gut microbiome. However, the potential benefits of manipulating the gut microbiome after injury is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To determine if restoring youthful gut microbiota after stroke aids in recovery in aged subjects, we altered the gut microbiome through young fecal transplant gavage in aged mice after experimental stroke. Further, the effect of direct enrichment of selective bacteria producing short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) was tested as a more targeted and refined microbiome therapy. METHODS AND RESULTS: Aged male mice (18-20 months) were subjected to ischemic stroke by middle cerebral artery occlusion. We performed fecal transplant gavage 3 days after middle cerebral artery occlusion using young donor biome (2-3 months) or aged biome (18-20 months). At day 14 after stroke, aged stroke mice receiving young fecal transplant gavage had less behavioral impairment, and reduced brain and gut inflammation. Based on data from microbial sequencing and metabolomics analysis demonstrating that young fecal transplants contained much higher SCFA levels and related bacterial strains, we selected 4 SCFA-producers (Bifidobacterium longum, Clostridium symbiosum, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, and Lactobacillus fermentum) for transplantation. These SCFA-producers alleviated poststroke neurological deficits and inflammation, and elevated gut, brain and plasma SCFA concentrations in aged stroke mice. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study suggesting that the poor stroke recovery in aged mice can be reversed via poststroke bacteriotherapy following the replenishment of youthful gut microbiome via modulation of immunologic, microbial, and metabolomic profiles in the host.

Deficits in ultrasonic vocalization development and production following neonatal hypoxic ischemic insult.

Neonatal hypoxic ischemia encephalopathy (HIE) leads to major deficits in language development. While clinically there is a known correlation in the degree of HIE injury and subsequent language disability, there are no treatments beyond speech and language therapy; therefore, experimental studies with a HIE animal model to test new interventions and therapeutics are warranted. Neonatal rodents normally ultrasonically vocalize at postnatal day 7 (PND 7) to PND 14 in response to removal from their mothers. At 6-8 weeks of age juvenile male rodents ultrasonically vocalize in response to exposure to a mature female mouse. Changes in ultrasonic vocalization (USV) production after neonatal brain injury, such ashypoxic ischemia (HI), have not been studied. This study examines the acute and long-term ultrasonic vocalization ability of mice after HI at PND 10. Pups were subjected to HI, sham, or naïve conditions; where in HI and sham surgeries the right common carotid artery was exposed, in the HI this artery was double ligated. The HI and sham pups were then exposed to60minof hypoxia. Naïve pups did not undergo surgery and were subjected to60minof room air. At 3 days following surgery, HI and sham pups vocalize less than nonsurgical naïve controls; yet "juvenile" mice of 6-8 weeks old that underwent HI at PND 10 vocalize less than sham and naïve mice. We conclude that HI injury has significant impact on later adult vocalization.

Age-related changes in the gut microbiota influence systemic inflammation and stroke outcome.

OBJECTIVE: Chronic systemic inflammation contributes to the pathogenesis of many age-related diseases. Although not well understood, alterations in the gut microbiota, or dysbiosis, may be responsible for age-related inflammation. METHODS: Using stroke as a disease model, we tested the hypothesis that a youthful microbiota, when established in aged mice, produces positive outcomes following ischemic stroke. Conversely, an aged microbiota, when established in young mice, produces negative outcomes after stroke. Young and aged male mice had either a young or an aged microbiota established by fecal transplant gavage (FTG). Mice were subjected to ischemic stroke (middle cerebral artery occlusion; MCAO) or sham surgery. During the subsequent weeks, mice underwent behavioral testing and fecal samples were collected for 16S ribosomal RNA analysis of bacterial content. RESULTS: We found that the microbiota is altered after experimental stroke in young mice and resembles the biome of uninjured aged mice. In aged mice, the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes (F:B), two main bacterial phyla in gut microbiota, increased ∼9-fold (p < 0.001) compared to young. This increased F:B ratio in aged mice is indicative of dysbiosis. Altering the microbiota in young by fecal gavage to resemble that of aged mice (∼6-fold increase in F:B ratio, p < 0.001) increased mortality following MCAO, decreased performance in behavioral testing, and increased cytokine levels. Conversely, altering the microbiota in aged to resemble that of young (∼9-fold decrease in F:B ratio, p < 0.001) increased survival and improved recovery following MCAO. INTERPRETATION: Aged biome increased the levels of systemic proinflammatory cytokines. We conclude that the gut microbiota can be modified to positively impact outcomes from age-related diseases. Ann Neurol 2018;83:23-36.

Multiparity improves outcomes after cerebral ischemia in female mice despite features of increased metabovascular risk.

Females show a varying degree of ischemic sensitivity throughout their lifespan, which is not fully explained by hormonal or genetic factors. Epidemiological data suggest that sex-specific life experiences such as pregnancy increase stroke risk. This work evaluated the role of parity on stroke outcome. Age-matched virgin (i.e., nulliparous) and multiparous mice were subjected to 60 min of reversible middle cerebral artery occlusion and evaluated for infarct volume, behavioral recovery, and inflammation. Using an established mating paradigm, fetal microchimeric cells present in maternal mice were also tracked after parturition and stroke. Parity was associated with sedentary behavior, weight gain, and higher triglyceride and cholesterol levels. The multiparous brain exhibited features of immune suppression, with dampened baseline microglial activity. After acute stroke, multiparous mice had smaller infarcts, less glial activation, and less behavioral impairment in the critical recovery window of 72 h. Behavioral recovery was significantly better in multiparous females compared with nulliparous mice 1 mo after stroke. This recovery was accompanied by an increase in poststroke angiogenesis that was correlated with improved performance on sensorimotor and cognitive tests. Multiparous mice had higher levels of VEGF, both at baseline and after stroke. GFP+ fetal cells were detected in the blood and migrated to areas of tissue injury where they adopted endothelial morphology 30 d after injury. Reproductive experience has profound and complex effects on neurovascular health and disease. Inclusion of female mice with reproductive experience in preclinical studies may better reflect the life-long patterning of ischemic stroke risk in women.

Clinically Relevant Concentrations of Ketamine Inhibit Osteoclast Formation In Vitro in Mouse Bone Marrow Cultures.

Ketamine has been used safely in clinics for decades for analgesia and anesthesia. It is increasingly popular in clinical practice due to its new uses and importance for emergency procedures. It is known that ketamine is sequestered in the bone marrow and the major receptors for ketamine, noncompetitive N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDARs), are expressed in osteoclasts (OCs) and osteoblasts. However, the impact of ketamine on OCs or osteoblasts is unknown. In this study, we investigated the effects of ketamine on osteoclastogenesis and regulation of NMDARs expression in vitro. Bone marrows (BMs) or bone marrow macrophages (BMMs) were cultured in the presence of macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) and receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL) with or without ketamine for up to 6 days. OC formation peaked at day 5. On day 5 of culture, ketamine inhibited OC formation from both BM and BMM cultures at clinically relevant concentrations (3-200 µM). Ketamine inhibited RANKL-induced expression of nuclear factor of activated T-cells, cytoplasmic, calcineurin-dependent 1 (NFATc1) in BMM cultures. Inhibition of ketamine on RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis is associated with down-regulation of NMDARs. In addition, ketamine significantly inhibited the M-CSF induced migration of BMMs, inhibited cell fusion and significantly increased mature OC apoptosis. We conclude that clinically relevant concentrations of ketamine inhibit OC formation in both BM and BMM cultures in vitro through inhibiting migration and fusion process and enhancing mature OC apoptosis. It is likely that ketamine regulates osteoclastogenesis, at least in part, via its effects on NMDAR expression. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 914-923, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase-3ß enhances cognitive recovery after stroke: the role of TAK1.

Memory deficits are common among stroke survivors. Identifying neuroprotective agents that can prevent memory impairment or improve memory recovery is a vital area of research. Glycogen synthase kinase-3ß (GSK-3ß) is involved in several essential intracellular signaling pathways. Unlike many other kinases, GSK-3ß is active only when dephosphorylated and activation promotes inflammation and apoptosis. In contrast, increased phosphorylation leads to reduced GSK-3ß (pGSK-3ß) activity. GSK-3ß inhibition has beneficial effects on memory in other disease models. GSK-3ß regulates both the 5'AMP-activated kinase (AMPK) and transforming growth factor-ß-activated kinase (TAK1) pathways. In this work, we examined the effect of GSK-3ß inhibition, both independently, in conjunction with a TAK inhibitor, and in AMPK-α2 deficient mice, after stroke to investigate mechanistic interactions between these pathways. GSK-3ß inhibition was neuroprotective and ameliorated stroke-induced cognitive impairments. This was independent of AMPK signaling as the protective effects of GSK-3ß inhibition were seen in AMPK deficient mice. However, GSK-3ß inhibition provided no additive protection in mice treated with a TAK inhibitor suggesting that TAK1 is an upstream regulator of GSK-3ß. Targeting GSK-3ß could be a novel therapeutic strategy for post-stroke cognitive deficits.

Ultrasonic vocalization changes and FOXP2 expression after experimental stroke.

Speech impairments affect one in four stroke survivors. However, animal models of post-ischemic vocalization deficits are limited. Male mice vocalize at ultrasonic frequencies when exposed to an estrous female mouse. In this study we assessed vocalization patterns and quantity in male mice after cerebral ischemia. FOXP2, a gene associated with verbal dyspraxia in humans, with known roles in neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity, was also examined after injury. Using a transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model, we assessed correlates of vocal impairment at several time-points after stroke. Further, to identify possible lateralization of vocalization deficits induced by left and right hemispheric strokes were compared. Significant differences in vocalization quantity were observed between stroke and sham animals that persisted for a month after injury. Injury to the left hemisphere reduced early vocalizations more profoundly than those to the right hemisphere. Nuclear expression of Foxp2 was elevated early after stroke (at 6h), but significantly decreased 24h after injury in both the nucleus and the cytoplasm. Neuronal Foxp2 expression increased in stroke mice compared to sham animals 4 weeks after injury. This study demonstrates that quantifiable deficits in ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) are seen after stroke. USV may be a useful tool to assess chronic behavioral recovery in murine models of stroke.

Sex differences in ischemic stroke sensitivity are influenced by gonadal hormones, not by sex chromosome complement.

Epidemiologic studies have shown sex differences in ischemic stroke. The four core genotype (FCG) mouse model, in which the testes determining gene, Sry, has been moved from Y chromosome to an autosome, was used to dissociate the effects of sex hormones from sex chromosome in ischemic stroke outcome. Middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in gonad intact FCG mice revealed that gonadal males (XXM and XYM) had significantly higher infarct volumes as compared with gonadal females (XXF and XYF). Serum testosterone levels were equivalent in adult XXM and XYM, as was serum estrogen in XXF and XYF mice. To remove the effects of gonadal hormones, gonadectomized FCG mice were subjected to MCAO. Gonadectomy significantly increased infarct volumes in females, while no change was seen in gonadectomized males, indicating that estrogen loss increases ischemic sensitivity. Estradiol supplementation in gonadectomized FCG mice rescued this phenotype. Interestingly, FCG male mice were less sensitive to effects of hormones. This may be due to enhanced expression of the transgene Sry in brains of FCG male mice. Sex differences in ischemic stroke sensitivity appear to be shaped by organizational and activational effects of sex hormones, rather than sex chromosomal complement.

Role of social factors on cell death, cerebral plasticity and recovery after stroke.

Stroke is a serious global health care problem. It is now is the fourth leading cause of death and the primary cause of adult disability in the United States. Substantial evidence from both experimental and clinical studies has demonstrated that social isolation (SI) can increase stroke incidence and impair recovery. Epidemiological studies demonstrate that an increasing number of patients are living alone, and as the aging population increases, loneliness will only increase in prevalence. SI is increasingly identified as an independent risk factor for all-cause mortality. In contrast, individuals with high levels of social support exhibit more rapid and extensive functional and cognitive recovery after a wide variety of pathological insults, including stroke. Clinical data suggests that SI is an important risk factor for increased mortality and delayed functional recovery following ischemic stroke. Attesting to the importance of mortality and behavioral factors in stroke outcome is that these same effects can be reproduced in animal models of experimental stroke. This has allowed researchers to identify several mechanistic changes that occur with affiliative interactions. These include decreased systemic inflammation, elaboration of growth factors including brain derived neurotropic factor (BDNF), enhanced neurogenesis, and improved neuroimmune responsiveness in group housed animals. These may mediate the beneficial effects of social interaction on improving stroke recovery and reducing neuronal death. In this review we provide an overview of the effects of SI on ischemic injury and recovery and discuss their clinical and therapeutic implications.

Inhibition of mitochondrial p53 abolishes the detrimental effects of social isolation on ischemic brain injury.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Social isolation (SI) increases stroke incidence and delays poststroke recovery. Women may be at greater risk from the negative consequences of SI, but few studies have examined both sexes in experimental models, and none have evaluated the effects of isolation initiated after stroke. The effects of poststroke SI in men and women were examined, and the role of mitochondrial P53 was evaluated. METHODS: C57Bl6 mice were pair-housed (PH; male and ovariectomized female) for 2 weeks, subjected to stroke and then assigned to a housing condition (isolated or PH). The effects of housing on infarct volume and recovery were examined. Changes in Bcl-2 and mitochondrial p53 were assessed by Western blot. A mitochondrial p53 inhibitor (pifithrin-µ) was given to mice of both sexes. RESULTS: Compared with pair-housed mice, poststroke SI significantly increased infarct size in both sexes; SI mice also had worse neurological deficits. The detrimental effects of SI paralleled increases in mitochondrial p53 levels. Pharmacological inhibition of mitochondrial p53 using pifithrin-µ abolished the detrimental effects of SI and reduced cell death. CONCLUSIONS: Poststroke SI results in increased ischemic injury in both sexes. The effect of housing on infarct was more pronounced in women. Targeting the mitochondrial P53 pathway could minimize the detrimental effects of isolation after stroke.

Perfusion of ischemic brain in young and aged animals: a laser speckle flowmetry study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Aging is an important determinant of ischemic stroke outcomes. Both clinical and experimental stroke studies have shown that aging negatively correlates with infarct volumes but is associated with worsened functional recovery after stroke. This may correspond to a differing cellular and molecular response to stroke in the aged versus young brain. It was hypothesized in this study that the smaller injury seen in the aged ischemic brain is because of structural differences in microvasculature with aging or differences in intraischemic tissue perfusion. METHODS: Both young and aged C57BL6 mice were subject to middle cerebral artery occlusion modeling. Laser speckle flowmetry was used to study the functional dynamics of cerebral perfusion, and fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-dextran staining was performed to examine the structural change in microvasculature. In separate cohorts, cresyl violet staining and immunohistochemistry with CD31 and IgG antibodies were applied to further assess the microvascular density and blood-brain barrier breakdown after stroke. RESULTS: No difference in cerebral blood flow was seen at the baseline, intraischemically, and postreperfusion in young versus aged mice. FITC-dextran and CD31 staining did not show significant differences in the microvascular density between young and aged ischemic brains. More extravasation of IgG through the blood-brain barrier was found in the young versus aged cohort at both 24 and 72 hours after stroke. CONCLUSIONS: Cerebrovascular dynamics and perfusion are not responsible for the different stroke phenotypes seen in the young versus aged animals, which may be more related to different levels of blood-brain barrier breakdown.

Deletion of macrophage migration inhibitory factor worsens stroke outcome in female mice.

Sex is an important factor in the response to ischemic insults in both the laboratory and the clinic. Inflammation and cell death are points where sex-specific pathways diverge in stroke, and serum estrogen level status affect the response to inflammation. The cytokine macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is detrimental in experimental stroke models in male animals. However MIF is known to have sex-specific actions on inflammation and wound healing. The role of MIF in the ischemic female brain has not been evaluated. A transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO/90min) model was used to induce stroke in male, intact female, and ovariectomized female wildtype (WT) and MIF knockout (KO) mice. Infarct size was quantified 72h after stroke. Protein and cytokine levels were assessed post stroke. Female MIF KO mice had significantly larger strokes compared to WT females (mean hemispheric infarct±SEM: 63%±2% versus 29%±3%; n=8; p<0.05). Ovariectomized female MIF KO mice also had larger infarcts than ovariectomized WT littermates (70%±3% versus 47%±4%; n=11; p<0.05). In males, however, infarct size was equivalent between MIF KO and WT mice (63%±2% versus 67%±3%; n=9; p=0.25). There were no significant differences in cytokine levels at 6h post-infarct between mice of either genotype in brain. MIF KO females displayed more microglial activation (ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1 (Iba1) immunofluorescence) after stroke than did WT mice or MIF KO males. The larger infarcts in MIF KO females were associated with an early increase in mitochondrial localization of Jun activation domain-binding protein 1 (JAB1). Loss of MIF exacerbated injury in the female brain after experimental stroke, which was independent of changes in pro-inflammatory cytokine levels. This response is sex-specific, and is in part independent of physiological serum levels of estrogen.