Abstract TP113: Delayed (21 Days) Post Stroke Treatment With RPh201, A Botany-Derived Compound, Improves Neurological Functional Recovery in a Rat Model of Embolic Stroke

Abstract

Introduction: Despite the recent advances in the acute stroke care, treatment options for long-term disability are limited. RPh201 is a botany-derived bioactive compound that has been shown to exert beneficial effects in various experimental models of neural injury. However, the effect of RPh201 on stroke recovery has not been investigated. The present study evaluated the effect of RPh201 on functional recovery after stroke. Methods: Young adult Wistar rats subjected to embolic middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) were randomized into the following experimental groups stratified by sex (n=20/group): 1) RPh201 treatment, and 2) vehicle (cottonseed oil). RPh201 (20 μl) or vehicle were subcutaneously administered twice a week for 16 consecutive weeks starting at 21 days after MCAO. An array of behavioral tests were performed during 120 days after treatment initiation. Results: Male, but not female, ischemic rats treated with RPh201 exhibited significant (p<0.05) improvement of neurological function measured by adhesive removal test, foot-fault test, and modified neurological severity score at 90 and 120 days after initiation of treatment. Immunohistochemistry analysis showed that RPh201 treatment robustly increased neurofilament heavy chain positive axons and myelin basic protein densities in the peri-infarct area by 61% and 31% in the male rats, respectively, when compared to the vehicle treatment, which were further confirmed by Western blot analysis. The RPh201 treatment did not reduce infarct volume in both male and female rats. Conclusions: Our data demonstrated that RPh201 has a therapeutic effect on improvement of functional recovery in male ischemic rats even when the treatment was initiated 21 days post stroke. Enhanced axonal and myelination densities by RPh201 in ischemic brain may contribute to improved stroke recovery.