The silent information regulator 1 agonist SRT1720 reduces experimental intracerebral hemorrhagic brain injury by regulating the blood–brain barrier integrity

Abstract

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a significant public health matter that has no effective treatment. ICH-induced destruction of the blood–brain barrier (BBB) leads to neurological deterioration. Astrocytic sonic hedgehog (SHH) alleviates brain injury by maintaining the integrity of the BBB after ICH. Silent information regulator 1 (SIRT1) is neuroprotective in several central nervous system diseases via BBB regulation. It is also a possible influential factor of the SHH signaling pathway. Nevertheless, the role of SIRT1 on BBB and the underlying pathological process associated with the SHH signaling pathway after ICH remain unclear. We established an intracerebral hemorrhagic mouse model by collagenase injection. SRT1720 (a selective agonist of SIRT1) was used to evaluate the effect of SIRT1 on BBB integrity after ICH. SIRT1 expression was reduced in the mouse brain after ICH. SRT1720 attenuated neurobehavioral impairments and brain edema of ICH mouse. After ICH induction, SRT1720 improved BBB integrity and tight junction expressions in the mouse brain. The SHH signaling pathway-related factors smoothened and glioma-associated oncogene homolog-1 were increased with the intervention of SRT1720, while cyclopamine (a specific inhibitor of the SHH signaling pathway) reversed these effects. These findings suggest that SIRT1 protects from ICH by altering BBB permeability and tight junction expression levels. This process is associated with the SHH signaling pathway, suggesting that SIRT1 may be a potential therapeutic target for ICH.