Sex- and Tissue-Specific Effects of Leukemia Inhibitory Factor on Mitochondrial Bioenergetics Following Ischemic Stroke
Oxidative stress due to increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation and/or inflammation is considered to play an important role in ischemic stroke injury. Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) has been shown to protect both oligodendrocytes and neurons from ischemia by upregulating endogenous anti-...
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2025-05-01
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| author | Hemendra J. Vekaria Sarah J. Shelley Sarah J. Messmer Prashant D. Kunjadia Christopher J. McLouth Patrick G. Sullivan Justin F. Fraser Keith R. Pennypacker Chirayu D. Pandya |
| author_facet | Hemendra J. Vekaria Sarah J. Shelley Sarah J. Messmer Prashant D. Kunjadia Christopher J. McLouth Patrick G. Sullivan Justin F. Fraser Keith R. Pennypacker Chirayu D. Pandya |
| author_sort | Hemendra J. Vekaria |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Oxidative stress due to increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation and/or inflammation is considered to play an important role in ischemic stroke injury. Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) has been shown to protect both oligodendrocytes and neurons from ischemia by upregulating endogenous anti-oxidants, though the effect of ischemia and the protective role of LIF treatment in mitochondrial function have not been studied. The goal of this study was to determine whether LIF protects ischemia-induced altered mitochondrial bioenergetics in reproductively senescent aged rats of both sexes (≥18 months old), approximately equivalent to the average age of human stroke patients. Animals were euthanized at 3 days after permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) surgery. We found that MCAO surgery significantly reduced mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation in both the ipsilateral striatum and prefrontal cortex in male aged rats compared to their respective contralateral regions of the brain. MCAO injury showed mitochondrial bioenergetic dysfunction only in the striatum in female rats; however, the prefrontal cortex remained unaffected to the injury. LIF-treated rats significantly prevented mitochondrial dysfunction in the striatum in male rats compared to their vehicle-treated counterparts. Collectively, MCAO-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and LIF’s potential as a therapeutic biomolecule exhibited sex- and tissue-specific effects, varying between the striatum and prefrontal cortex in male and female rats. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-db17f93ba85641459ec48c91bb900921 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2218-273X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biomolecules |
| spelling | doaj-art-db17f93ba85641459ec48c91bb9009212025-08-20T02:33:38ZengMDPI AGBiomolecules2218-273X2025-05-0115573810.3390/biom15050738Sex- and Tissue-Specific Effects of Leukemia Inhibitory Factor on Mitochondrial Bioenergetics Following Ischemic StrokeHemendra J. Vekaria0Sarah J. Shelley1Sarah J. Messmer2Prashant D. Kunjadia3Christopher J. McLouth4Patrick G. Sullivan5Justin F. Fraser6Keith R. Pennypacker7Chirayu D. Pandya8Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center (SCoBIRC), University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 405036, USADepartment of Neurosurgery, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USADepartment of Neurosurgery, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USADepartment of Neurosurgery, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USADepartment of Neurology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USASpinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center (SCoBIRC), University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 405036, USADepartment of Neurosurgery, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USADepartment of Neurosurgery, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USASpinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center (SCoBIRC), University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 405036, USAOxidative stress due to increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation and/or inflammation is considered to play an important role in ischemic stroke injury. Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) has been shown to protect both oligodendrocytes and neurons from ischemia by upregulating endogenous anti-oxidants, though the effect of ischemia and the protective role of LIF treatment in mitochondrial function have not been studied. The goal of this study was to determine whether LIF protects ischemia-induced altered mitochondrial bioenergetics in reproductively senescent aged rats of both sexes (≥18 months old), approximately equivalent to the average age of human stroke patients. Animals were euthanized at 3 days after permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) surgery. We found that MCAO surgery significantly reduced mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation in both the ipsilateral striatum and prefrontal cortex in male aged rats compared to their respective contralateral regions of the brain. MCAO injury showed mitochondrial bioenergetic dysfunction only in the striatum in female rats; however, the prefrontal cortex remained unaffected to the injury. LIF-treated rats significantly prevented mitochondrial dysfunction in the striatum in male rats compared to their vehicle-treated counterparts. Collectively, MCAO-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and LIF’s potential as a therapeutic biomolecule exhibited sex- and tissue-specific effects, varying between the striatum and prefrontal cortex in male and female rats.https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/15/5/738strokeMCAOmitochondrial bioenergeticsstriatumprefrontal cortexLIF |
| spellingShingle | Hemendra J. Vekaria Sarah J. Shelley Sarah J. Messmer Prashant D. Kunjadia Christopher J. McLouth Patrick G. Sullivan Justin F. Fraser Keith R. Pennypacker Chirayu D. Pandya Sex- and Tissue-Specific Effects of Leukemia Inhibitory Factor on Mitochondrial Bioenergetics Following Ischemic Stroke Biomolecules stroke MCAO mitochondrial bioenergetics striatum prefrontal cortex LIF |
| title | Sex- and Tissue-Specific Effects of Leukemia Inhibitory Factor on Mitochondrial Bioenergetics Following Ischemic Stroke |
| title_full | Sex- and Tissue-Specific Effects of Leukemia Inhibitory Factor on Mitochondrial Bioenergetics Following Ischemic Stroke |
| title_fullStr | Sex- and Tissue-Specific Effects of Leukemia Inhibitory Factor on Mitochondrial Bioenergetics Following Ischemic Stroke |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sex- and Tissue-Specific Effects of Leukemia Inhibitory Factor on Mitochondrial Bioenergetics Following Ischemic Stroke |
| title_short | Sex- and Tissue-Specific Effects of Leukemia Inhibitory Factor on Mitochondrial Bioenergetics Following Ischemic Stroke |
| title_sort | sex and tissue specific effects of leukemia inhibitory factor on mitochondrial bioenergetics following ischemic stroke |
| topic | stroke MCAO mitochondrial bioenergetics striatum prefrontal cortex LIF |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/15/5/738 |
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