Turkish Neurosurgery
Neuroprotective Effects of Chronic Fenofibrate Treatment via Modulating the Immunoreactivity of Cleaved Caspase-3 in Stroke Induced by Transient Middle Cerebral Occlusion Rat Model
Ozge Altintas2, Mehmet Ozgen Altintas3, Mehmet Serif Aydin4, Oguz Baran1, Veysel Antar1, Mukaddes Esrefoglu4, Talip Asil5
1Istanbul Research and Training Hospital, Neurosurgery, İstanbul,
2Nigde Bor State Hospital, Neurology, Nigde,
3Fatih University, Genetics and Bioengineering, İstanbul,
4Bezmialem Vakif University, Histology and Embriology, İstanbul,
5Bezmialem Vakif University, Neurology, İstanbul,
DOI: 10.5137/1019-5149.JTN.16772-15.3

Aim:Peroxisome proliferator activated receptors (PPAR) α regulates lipid homeostasis and is a target of fibrates, which have a neuroprotective function by various mechanisms. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the role of the PPARα agonist, fenofibrate, in the modulation of cleaved caspase-3 immunoreactivity and at the final infarct volume in an experimental ischemia/reperfusion rat model by induced transient proximal middle cerebral artery occlusion. Material and Methods:65 male Spraque Dawley rats were allocated to 4 groups; sham (n = 5), experiment 1 (n = 20), experiment 2 (n = 20), experiment 3 (n = 20). All experiment groups were divided to 3 subgroups in order to evaluate the final infarct volume at 24th hour (n=5) and the immunoreactivity of cleaved caspase -3 at different time period [at first hour (n=5), at 6th (n=5), at 24th (n=5)] after transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo). At the study the experiment groups (Experiment 1 and Experiment 2) were received the fenofibrate-diet during 14 days before ischemia procedure. All animals were sacrificed at 24th hours after MCAo. Infarction volumes were calculated from 2,3,5,triphenyltetrozolium chloride (TTC)- stained brain sections.Results:We investigated that fenofibrate-therapy reduced significantly body weight rather than the other experiment groups (p<0.05). At the time intervals, the decrease of immunoreactivity of cleaved caspase-3 significantly observed by fenofibrate therapy after MCAo (p<0.05). Chronic fenofibrate treatment before cerebral ischemia significantly reduced infraction size after MCAo compared with other groups (respectively; p = .011 and p< .000).Conclusion:The study results supported the neuroprotective effects of fenofibrate treatment in MCA infarcts.

Corresponding author : Veysel Antar