Abstract
In ischemic stroke, neutrophils are the first-line peripheral immune cells infiltrating the brain tissue to form neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). The present study aimed to investigate the role of neuronal cold-inducible RNA-binding protein (CIRP) in promoting NETs-induced brain endothelial barrier destruction and cerebral edema after ischemic stroke. We found that the expression of NETs and neuronal CIRP in the penumbra increased at 6 hours after transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) and increased significantly at 24 hours, reaching a peak at 3 days. NETs degradation or CIRP inhibition can alleviate the leakage of brain endothelial barrier and reverse the decreased expression of tight junction proteins (zonula occludens-1, claudin-5 and occludin) in tMCAO mice. Oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion treated primary neurons or recombinant CIRP could induce NETs formation via TLR4/p38 signaling pathway in vitro. Transcription factor specificity protein 1 (sp1) was responsible for the increased neuronal CIRP expression and the inhibition of sp1 could suppress the increased CIRP expression, reduce NETs formation, and diminish brain endothelial barrier leakage in tMCAO mice. We also found the upregulated CIRP level was associated with severe cerebral edema in patients with acute ischemic stroke. In conclusion, the increased expression of transcription factor sp1 after ischemic stroke can lead to elevated CIRP expression and release from the neurons, which subsequently interacts with neutrophils and promotes NETs formation, resulting in brain endothelial barrier destruction and cerebral edema.