Inhibition of TRIM14 protects cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury through regulating NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway-mediated inflammation and apoptosis.

Purpose: Many proteins in tripartite motif (TRIM) family have been reported to play an important role in cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. This study was designed to investigate the effect of TRIM14 on the cerebral I/R injury in rats.

Methods: The rat model was constructed through inserting thread into the middle cerebral artery. The expression of TRIM14 was measured by qRT-PCR, immunoblotting, and immunofluorescence. The hippocampal sections were stained with 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) to determine infarct volume and used for measuring the neurologic deficit score and brain water content. The H&E staining was used for immunohistochemical (IHC) staining. The number of apoptotic cells was measured by fluorescence microscopy. The levels of IL-6, IL-1β, and TNFα were detected by qRT-PCR and ELISA. The swimming speed, latency time, and number of platform crossings were measured by the water maze test.

Results: TRIM14 was significantly enhanced in rats with cerebral I/R injury compared to Sham rats, showing its highest level at 24 h after I/R. TRIM14 inhibition reduced ischemic brain injury, suppressed neuron apoptosis, suppressed inflammation, and improved cognitive dysfunction in rats with cerebral I/R injury. TRIM14 inhibition also suppressed the activation of NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway in rats with cerebral I/R injury.

Conclusion: In conclusion, the expression of TRIM14 was increased in rats with cerebral I/R injury, the protective effect of TRIM14 inhibitor on cerebral I/R injury in rats depends on its anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory effect. The underlying mechanism was, at least partially, through regulating NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway.