Tacrolimus (FK506) limits accumulation of granulocytes and platelets and protects against brain damage after transient focal cerebral ischemia in rat.

Abstract	We investigated the neuroprotective effect of tacrolimus (FK506) on the ischemia-reperfusion injury caused by transient focal brain ischemia induced by middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion for 60 min in rats. Neuronal damage visualized as a decrease of MAP2 immunoreactivity was observed in the cerebral cortex at 9 h after MCA occlusion and further expanded at 24 h. Hypoxic areas visualized with an immunohistochemical reaction for 2-nitroimidazole, a hypoxia marker (hypoxyprobe-1), and accumulation of granulocytes and platelets were also observed at 9 h and 24 h after MCA occlusion. Tacrolimus (1 mg/kg, i.v.), administered immediately after MCA occlusion, attenuated cortical damage and decreased the hypoxyprobe-1 positive area, as well as the number of granulocytes and platelets at 24 h after MCA occlusion. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that tacrolimus reduced the number of blood vessels positively stained for ICAM-1, E-selectin and P-selection. These results suggested that tacrolimus limited attachment of granulocytes and platelets to blood vessels by inhibiting the expression of adhesion molecules and protected neuronal tissue from hypoxic insults.
Authors	Takahisa Noto, Yasuhisa Furuichi, Masayuki Ishiye, Nobuya Matsuoka, Ichiro Aramori, Seitaro Mutoh, Takehiko Yanagihara
Journal	Biological & pharmaceutical bulletin (Biol Pharm Bull) Vol. 30 Issue 2 Pg. 313-7 (Feb 2007) ISSN: 0918-6158 [Print] Japan
PMID	17268072 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
Chemical References	MAP2 protein, rat Microtubule-Associated Proteins Neuroprotective Agents Nitroimidazoles Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 pimonidazole Tacrolimus
Topics	Animals Blood Platelets (drug effects, physiology) Brain Ischemia (drug therapy, metabolism, pathology) Cell Adhesion (drug effects) Cerebral Cortex (drug effects, metabolism, pathology) Granulocytes (drug effects, physiology) Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery (drug therapy, metabolism, pathology) Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 (metabolism) Male Microtubule-Associated Proteins (metabolism) Neuroprotective Agents (pharmacology) Nitroimidazoles (metabolism) Rats Rats, Wistar Tacrolimus (pharmacology)

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