Profiling the Gene Expression and DNA Methylation in the Mouse Brain after Ischemic Preconditioning

Abstract

Ischemic preconditioning (IPC) is a phenomenon in which a short-term sublethal ischemic exposure induces tolerance to a subsequent lethal ischemic insult; however, the detailed mechanism underlying IPC-induced neuroprotection remains obscure. Here, we applied middle cerebral artery occlusion, a preconditioning ischemic insult mouse model, to investigate the molecular mechanism underlying cerebral IPC. RNA sequencing and whole-genome bisulfite sequencing were performed to explore the gene expression profile and DNA methylation changes after cerebral IPC treatment. In this study, we identified 636 differentially expressed genes enriched for several pathways that were partially overlapping or interconnected in terms of similar gene function. The involvement of several genes in IPC-induced neuroprotection was first reported. Genes induced by IPC, including Arid5a, Nptx2 and Stc2, demonstrated a neuroprotective effect against oxygen-glucose deprivation induced neurotoxicity in vitro. Thus, our findings provide new insights into IPC signaling pathways and offer a novel therapeutic strategy towards stroke.

Keywords: DNA methylation; ischemic preconditioning; middle cerebral artery occlusion; neuroprotection; oxygen–glucose deprivation.