Expression Pattern of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors in Rat Hippocampus following Cerebral Ischemia and Reperfusion Injury

The present study was designed to investigate the pattern of time-dependent expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR alpha, beta, and gamma) after global cerebral ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) damage in the rat hippocampus. Male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were subjected to global cerebral I/R. The rat hippocampi were isolated to detect the expression of PPARs mRNA and protein levels at 30 min-30 d after I/R by RT-PCR and Western blot analysis, respectively. The expression levels of PPARs mRNA and protein in the rat hippocampus significantly increased and peaked at 24 h for PPAR alpha and gamma (at 48 h for PPAR beta) after I/R, then gradually decreased, and finally approached control levels on d 30. The present results suggest that global cerebral I/R can cause obvious increases of hippocampal PPARs mRNA and protein expression within 15 d after I/R. These findings may help to guide the experimental and clinical therapeutic use of PPARs agonists against brain injury.