Striatal oxidative stress and inflammation and lower expression of miRNA-149 in ischemic-reperfusion murine model of stroke

Ischemic stroke is one of the main causes of death and disability in the world. Despite advancements, treatments have not achieved the desired results yet. Since microRNAs can be promising candidates for ischemic stroke diagnosis and treatment, this study investigated the impact of ischemic stroke on oxidative stress, inflammation, and miRNA149-5p expression in the striatum region in a rat model of ischemia-reperfusion brain injury.

In this research, 42 Male Wistar rats were divided into sham and ischemic groups. Using the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model, cerebral ischemia was induced in the target group. After 24 hours, neurological deficits, cerebral edema, blood-brain barrier permeability, miRNA149-5p expression, and enzymes related to oxidative stress and inflammation were evaluated. Data were statistically analyzed using GraphPad Prism software and unpaired t test.

The results of this study indicated that ischemic stroke leads to a decrease in neurological function, increased cerebral edema, and higher blood-brain barrier permeability. Furthermore, it resulted in elevated levels of oxidative and inflammatory factors and reduced levels of antioxidant factors in the striatum region. Additionally, ischemic stroke significantly caused downregulation of miRNA149-5p expression.

This study demonstrated that miRNA149-5p changes in rats subjected to ischemic stroke. This finding could contribute to a better understanding of therapeutic and diagnostic methods for stroke.