An ICE inhibitor, z-VAD-DCB attenuates ischaemic brain... : NeuroReport (original) (raw)
Neuropharmacology and Neurotoxicology: PDF Only
School of Biological Sciences 1.124, Stopford Building, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK; Sandoz Research Institute Berne Ltd, Berne, Switzerland
Abstract
INTERLEUKIN-1β (IL-1β) converting enzyme (ICE) cleaves pro-IL-1β to produce mature IL-β, and is a member of a family of proteases implicated in apoptosis. Intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of an irreversible ICE inhibitor, z-VAD-DCB (1 pmol, 30 min before and 15 min, 2, 4, 6 and 8 h after surgery) markedly reduced (50 ± 4%, p < 0.001) infarct volume measured 24 h after focal cerebral ischaemia (middle cerebral artery occlusion, MCAo) in the rat. Inhibition of damage was observed in the cortex (51 ± 5% reduction) and striatum (42 ± 6% reduction). These data implicate ICE in ischaemic neuronal death in vivo. Inhibition of ICE could reduce ischaemic damage either by preventing IL- 1β synthesis or by inhibiting apoptosis or by both of these processes, and may provide a useful therapeutic approach to the inhibition of ischaemic brain damage.
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