TY - JOUR A2 - Antonow-Schlorke, Iwa AU - Weston, Robert M. AU - Lin, Bin AU - Dusting, Gregory J. AU - Roulston, Carli L. PY - 2013 DA - 2013/01/14 TI - Targeting Oxidative Stress Injury after Ischemic Stroke in Conscious Rats: Limited Benefits with Apocynin Highlight the Need to Incorporate Long Term Recovery SP - 648061 VL - 2013 AB - NADPH oxidase is a major source of superoxide anion following stroke and reperfusion. This study evaluated the effects of apocynin, a known antioxidant and inhibitor of Nox2 NADPH, on neuronal injury and cell-specific responses to stroke induced in the conscious rat. Apocynin treatment (50 mg/kg i.p.) commencing 1 hour prior to stroke and 24 and 48 hours after stroke significantly reduced infarct volume in the cortex by ~ 60%, but had no effect on striatal damage or neurological deficits. In situdetection of reactive oxygen species (ROS) using dihydroethidium fluorescence revealed that increased ROS detected in OX-42 positive cells following ischemia was reduced in apocynin-treated rats by ~ 51%, but surprisingly increased in surrounding NeuN positive cells of the same rats by ~ 27%, in comparison to the contralateral hemisphere. Reduced ROS from activated microglia/macrophages treated with apocynin was associated with reduced Nox2 immunoreactivity without change to the number of cells. These findings confirm the protective effects of apocynin and indicate a novel mechanism via reduced Nox2 expression. We also reveal compensatory changes in neuronal ROS generation as a result of Nox2 inhibition and highlight the need to assess long term individual cell responses to inhibitors of oxidative stress. SN - 2090-8105 UR - https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/648061 DO - 10.1155/2013/648061 JF - Stroke Research and Treatment PB - Hindawi Publishing Corporation KW - ER -