Abstract
Netrin-1 (NTN-1) is a novel drug to alleviate early brain injury following subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH). However the molecular mechanism of NTN-1-mediated protection against early brain injury following SAH remains largely elusive. This study aims to evaluate the effects and mechanisms of NTN-1 in protecting SAH-induced early brain injury. The endovascular perforation SAH model was constructed using male C57BL/6J mice, and recombinant NTN-1 was administrated intravenously. Mortality rates, SAH grade, brain water content, neurological score and neuronal apoptosis were evaluated. The expression of PPARγ, Bcl-2, Bax and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) were detected by Western blot. Small interfering RNA specific to NTN-1 receptor, UNC5B, and a selective PPARγ antagonist, bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (BADGE), were applied in combination with NTN-1. The results suggested that NTN-1 improved the neurological deficits, reduced the brain water content and alleviated neuronal apoptosis. In addition, NTN-1 enhanced PPARγ and Bcl-2 expression and decreased the levels of Bax and NF-κB. However, the neuroprotection of NTN-1 was abolished by UNC5B and BADGE. In conclusion, our results demonstrated that NTN-1 attenuates early brain injury following SAH via the UNC5B PPARγ/NF-κB signalling pathway.