<i>γ</i>‐Glutamylcysteine Alleviates Ischemic Stroke‐Induced Neuronal Apoptosis by Inhibiting ROS‐Mediated Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress

Abstract

Ischemic stroke is a severe and acute neurological disorder with limited therapeutic strategies currently available. Oxidative stress is one of the critical pathological factors in ischemia/reperfusion injury, and high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) may drive neuronal apoptosis. Rescuing neurons in the penumbra is a potential way to recover from ischemic stroke. Endogenous levels of the potent ROS quencher glutathione (GSH) decrease significantly after cerebral ischemia. Here, we aimed to investigate the neuroprotective effects of <i>γ</i>-glutamylcysteine (<i>γ</i>-GC), an immediate precursor of GSH, on neuronal apoptosis and brain injury during ischemic stroke. Middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) were used to mimic cerebral ischemia in mice, neuronal cell lines, and primary neurons. Our data indicated that exogenous <i>γ</i>-GC treatment mitigated oxidative stress, as indicated by upregulated GSH and decreased ROS levels. In addition, <i>γ</i>-GC attenuated ischemia/reperfusion-induced neuronal apoptosis and brain injury in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, transcriptomics approaches and subsequent validation studies revealed that <i>γ</i>-GC attenuated penumbra neuronal apoptosis by inhibiting the activation of protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK) and inositol-requiring enzyme 1<i>α</i> (IRE1<i>α</i>) in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress signaling pathway in OGD/R-treated cells and ischemic brain tissues. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to report that <i>γ</i>-GC attenuates ischemia-induced neuronal apoptosis by suppressing ROS-mediated ER stress. <i>γ</i>-GC may be a promising therapeutic agent for ischemic stroke.