Chlorogenic acid alleviates the reduction of 14-3-3 protein in the cerebral cortex of stroke animal model

Abstract

Ischemic stroke causes severe neuronal damage. Chlorogenic acid is a phenolic substance present in fruits and coffee. It also exerts neuroprotective effects against various brain injuries. The 14-3-3 family protein perform a variety of functions including metabolism, signal transduction, cell differentiation, and apoptosis. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether chlorogenic acid regulates the expression of 14-3-3 protein in stroke animal models. Ischemic stroke was induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) surgery. Phosphate buffered saline (PBS) or chlorogenic acid (30 mg/kg) were intraperitoneally injected to adult male rats 2 h before MCAO surgery. Adhesive-removal test was performed 24 h after MCAO surgery and cerebral cortical tissues were collected for further study. MCAO damage caused severe neurological impairment and chlorogenic acid treatment ameliorated this disorder. Our proteomic approach showed a decrease in 14-3-3 expression in MCAO animals with PBS. The decrease in 14-3-3 expression alleviated in MCAO animal with chlorogenic acid. We confirmed changes in various 14-3-3 protein isoforms, including beta/alpha, zeta/delta, gamma, epsilon, eta, and tau through reverse transcription-PCR. These results explained that chlorogenic acid regulates the expression of 14-3-3 protein in MCAO-induced cerebral ischemia. 14-3-3 is considered to be an important protein for cell survival through binding to pro-apoptotic proteins. The maintenance of 14-3-3 levels is an important event in neuroprotection against ischemic injury. Therefore, we can demonstrate that the 14-3-3 protein contributes to the neuroprotective effect of chlorogenic acid in stroke animal models.