Upregulation of RCAN1.4 by HIF1α alleviates OGD‐induced inflammatory response in astrocytes

Abstract

Objective: Ischemic stroke is a leading cause of human mortality and longterm disability worldwide. As one of the main forms of regulator of calcineurin 1 (RCAN1), the contribution of RCAN1.4 in diverse biological and pathological conditions has been implicated. But the role of RCAN1.4 in ischemic stroke progression remains elusive. This study is to explore the expression changes and roles of RCAN1.4 in ischemic stroke as well as the underlying mechanisms for these changes and effects of RCAN1.4 in ischemic stroke. Methods: Middle cerebral artery occlusion model in C57BL/6J mice and oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) model in primary astrocytes were performed to induce the cerebral ischemic stroke. The expression pattern of RCAN1.4 was assessed using realtime quantitative PCR and western blotting in vivo and in vitro. Mechanistically, the underlying mechanism for the elevation of RCAN1.4 in the upstream was investigated. Lentiviruses were administrated, and the effect of RCAN1.4 in postischemic inflammation was clearly clarified. Results: Here we uncovered that RCAN1.4 was dramatically increased in mouse ischemic brains and OGDinduced primary astrocytes. HIF1a, activated upon OGD, significantly upregulated RCAN1.4 gene expression through specifically binding to the RCAN1.4 promoter region and activating its promoter activity. The functional hypoxiaresponsive element (HRE) was located between À254 and À245 bp in the RCAN1.4 promoter region. Moreover, elevated RCAN1.4 alleviated the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNFa, IL1b, IL6 and reduced expression of iNOS, COX2 in primary astrocytes upon OGD, whereas RCAN1.4 silencing has the opposite effect. Of note, RCAN1.4 overexpression inhibited OGD-induced NF-jB activation in primary astrocytes, leading to decreased degradation of IjBa and reduced nuclear translocation of NF-jB/p65. Interpretation: Our results reveal a novel mechanism underscoring the upregulation of RCAN1.4 by HIF1a and the protective effect of RCAN1.4 against postischemic inflammation, suggesting its significance as a promising therapeutic target for ischemic stroke treatment.