Early brain injury (EBI) is considered to be the major factor associated with high morbidity and mortality after subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH). Apoptosis is the major pathological mechanism of EBI, and its pathogenesis has not been fully clarified. Here, we report that thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP), which is induced by protein kinase RNA-like endoplasmic reticulum (ER) kinase (PERK), participates in EBI by promoting apoptosis. By using adult male Sprague-Dawley rats to establish SAH models, as well as Terminal dexynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining, immunofluorescence, and western blot, we found that TXNIP expression significantly increased after SAH in comparison to the sham group and peaked at 48 h (up to 3.2-fold). Meanwhile, TXNIP was widely expressed in neurons and colocalized with TUNEL-positive cells in the hippocampus and cortex of SAH rats. After administration of TXNIP inhibitor-resveratrol (60 mg/kg), TXNIP small interfering RNA (siRNA) and the PERK inhibitor GSK2656157, TXNIP expression was significantly reduced, accompanied by an attenuation of apoptosis and prognostic indicators, including SAH grade, neurological deficits, brain water content, and blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability. Collectively, these results suggest that TXNIP may participate in EBI after SAH by mediating apoptosis. The blockage of TXNIP induced by PERK could be a potential therapeutic strategy for SAH treatment.
Keywords: apoptosis; early brain injury; protein kinase RNA-like ER kinase; subarachnoid haemorrhage; thioredoxin-interacting protein.