Dexmedetomidine inhibits neuronal apoptosis by inducing Sigma-1 receptor signaling in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury

Dexmedetomidine is known to alleviate cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury (CIRI). We established a rat model of CIRI, which exhibited higher neurological deficit scores and a greater number of apoptotic cells in the cerebral ischemic penumbra than controls. Dexmedetomidine reversed the neuronal apoptosis and improved neurological function in this model. We then examined Sigma-1 receptor (Sig-1R) expression on the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in brain tissues at different reperfusion time points. Sig-1R expression increased with CIRI and decreased with increasing reperfusion times. After 24 hours of reperfusion, dexmedetomidine upregulated Sig-1R expression, and ER stress proteins (GRP78, CHOP, JNK and Caspase-3) were detected in brain tissues with Western blotting. Moreover, GRP78 expression followed a pattern similar to Sig-1R. Dexmedetomidine induced GRP78 expression but inhibited CHOP, Caspase-3 and phosphorylated-JNK expression in brain tissues. A Sig-1R-specific inhibitor reduced GRP78 expression and partially inhibited the upregulation of GRP78 by dexmedetomidine. The inhibitor also increased CHOP and Caspase-3 expression and partially reversed the inhibitory effects of dexmedetomidine on these proapoptotic ER stress proteins. These results suggest that dexmedetomidine at least partially inhibits ER stress-induced apoptosis by activating Sig-1R, thereby attenuating brain damage after 24 hours of ischemia-reperfusion.