Differential Expression of NRF2 in the Cortex and Hippocampus Following Bilateral Common Carotid Artery Occlusion.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Vascular dementia is the second most common cognitive disorder after Alzheimer's disease. Bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCAO) is a widely used model of vascular dementia associated with chronic cerebral hypoperfusion. Previous studies have reported a beneficial role of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) in BCCAO. This study aimed to investigate NRF2 expression in the cortex and hippocampus at 3 and 14 days after BCCAO. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Unoperated male Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned to the control group, while rats that underwent surgery were assigned to the BCCAO group. The right and left common carotid arteries were exposed beneath the esophagus, separated from the vagus nerve and occluded using 4-0 silk sutures. The cerebral cortex and hippocampus were isolated under anesthesia, 3 and 14 days post-surgery. The expression of NRF2 protein was evaluated using western blot analysis. RESULTS: NRF2 expression in the cerebral cortex increased 3 and 14 days after BCCAO, compared to control group. In the hippocampus, NRF2 expression of BCCAO group mice was increased at 3 days, but no difference was observed at day 14 compared to the control group. CONCLUSION: Chronic hypoperfusion induced by BCCAO altered the protein expression levels of NRF2 in the cortex and hippocampus, suggesting that NRF2 may have a role in cognitive impairment.