Masitinib alleviated cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury by inhibiting autophagy and apoptosis

To investigate the neuroprotective effect and possible mechanism of masitinib on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats, healthy adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into sham group (n = 12), model group (n = 12), masitinib low dosage group (n = 12), masitinib middle dosage group (n = 12), and masitinib high dosage group (n = 12). All rats was subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) for two hours and reperfusion except sham group, and received treatment twice per day for 7 days once reperfusion started.Neurological score, infarct volume, and brain water content were detected; some autophagic markers, apoptotic and inflammatory cytokines were evaluated by Western blot and PCR after 7 d of reperfusion. Treatment with masitinib significantly ameliorated neurologic deficit, infarct volume and brain water after I/R injury. Masitinib also decreased the ratio of LC3II/I and the expression of Beclin-1 and increased the expression of p62 in the brain tissues of rats with I/R injury.Furthermore, it could inhibit apoptosis-related proteins and NF-κB expression. Masitinib could relieve the cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats through inhibiting autophagy and apoptosis.