VX-765 attenuates secondary damage and β-amyloid accumulation in ipsilateral thalamus after experimental stroke in rats

Abstract

Focal cortical infarction can result both in the accumulation of Aβ in as well as further secondary damage and inflammation within the ipsilateral thalamus. VX-765 is a potent and selective small-molecule capable of inhibiting caspase-1, which has been shown to exhibit active neuroprotection properties in multiple disease. However, the neuroprotection efficacy of VX-765 as a means of attenuating secondary damage after MCAO remains uncertain. As such, we sought to determine the ability of VX-765 to alter thalamic Aβ accumulation, secondary damage, and sensory deficits in rats of focal cortical infarction. A rat model of distal branch of middle cerebral artery occlusion (dMCAO) was used to evaluate the effects of the VX-765 on the secondary damage and β-amyloid accumulation in ipsilateral thalamus after dMCAO in rats. The activation of astrocyte and microglia, loss of neuron, and damage to sensory function were detected weekly till 4 weeks after modeling. VX-765 was injected intraperitoneally delayed after 7 days injury and the status of secondary damage, inflammation and β-amyloid accumulation in ipsilateral thalamus after dMCAO were examined.Our results revealed that VX-765 markedly reduce sensory deficits in these rats, suppressing secondary damage through reductions in APP and accumulations of Aβ with an accompanying reduction in both neuronal loss, astrocyte and microglia activation. VX-765 markedly inhibited NLRP3 and caspase-1, and downregulation of ASC, GSDMD, IL-1β, and IL-18 in the ipsilateral thalamus after MCAO. Our results further suggested that VX-765 may regulate secondary damage via control inflammation and suppressing the production of pro-inflammatory factors such as iNOS, TNF-α, IL-6 and COX2 that are produced downstream NF-κB signaling. Taken together, VX-765 is well-suited to attenuate secondary damage and accumulations of Aβ, improving recovery from sensory deficits and cognitive deficits after MCAO, at least in part via suppressing pyroptosis and inflammation.