查看文章

The chemokine CX3CL1 and its receptor CX3CR1 are constitutively expressed in the nervous system. In this study, we used in vivo murine models of permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAO) to investigate the protective potential of CX3CL1. We report that exogenous CX3CL1 reduced ischemia-induced cerebral infarct size, neurological deficits, and caspase-3 activation. CX3CL1-induced neuroprotective effects were long lasting, being observed up to 50 d after pMCAO in rats. The neuroprotective action of CX3CL1 in different models of brain injuries is mediated by its inhibitory activity on microglia and, in vitro, requires the activation of adenosine receptor 1 (A₁R). We show that, in the presence of the A₁R antagonist 1,3-dipropyl-8-cyclopentylxanthine and in A₁R^−/− mice, the neuroprotective effect of CX3CL1 on pMCAO was abolished, indicating the critical importance of the adenosine system in …