Angiotensin AT2 receptor stimulation causes neuroprotection in a conscious rat model of stroke

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The angiotensin II type 2 receptor (AT2R) is implicated to be neuroprotective in stroke, although this premise has not been directly tested. Therefore, we have examined the neuroprotective effect of AT2R stimulation after intracerebroventricular administration of AT2R agonist CGP42112 in a conscious rat model of stroke. METHODS: Spontaneously hypertensive rats were treated with either CGP42112 (0.1 to 10 ng/kg/min intracerebroventricularly) alone or in combination with the AT2R antagonist PD123319 (36 ng/kg/min intracerebroventricularly) beginning 5 days before stroke induction. A focal reperfusion model of stroke was induced in conscious spontaneously hypertensive rats by administering endothelin-1 to the middle cerebral artery through a surgically implanted cannula. Behavioral tests were used to assess the severity of neurological deficit as a result of the ischemic event. Cortical and striatal infarct volumes were measured 72 hours poststroke. RESULTS: Blood pressure was unaffected by treatments. CGP42112 dose-dependently reduced cortical infarct volume poststroke, and PD123319 abolished the neuroprotective effect of CGP42112. PD123319 had no effect on infarct volume alone. These results were consistent with the behavioral findings, indicating that CGP42112 reduced motor deficit on the ledged beam test at 72 hours poststroke and immunohistochemical analyses showing that CGP42112 increased neuronal survival and minimized the loss of AT2R expression in the infarcted region. CONCLUSIONS: Based on infarct, behavioral, and immunohistochemical data, these results indicate that centrally administered CGP42112 exhibits a neuroprotective effect, which was independent of blood pressure. Thus, for the first time, we have shown that central AT2R stimulation is neuroprotective in a conscious rat model of stroke.