Intranasal administration of recombinant prosaposin attenuates neuronal apoptosis through GPR37/PI3K/Akt/ASK1 pathway in MCAO rats

Studies have reported that Prosaposin (PSAP) is neuroprotective in cerebrovascular diseases. We hypothesized that PSAP would reduce infarct volume by attenuating neuronal apoptosis and promoting cell survival through G protein-coupled receptor 37(GPR37)/PI3K/Akt/ASK1 pathway in middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) rats. Two hundred and thirty-five male and eighteen female Sprague-Dawley rats were used. Recombinant human PSAP (rPSAP) was administered intranasally 1 h (h) after reperfusion. PSAP small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA), GPR37 siRNA, and PI3K specific inhibitor LY294002 were administered intracerebroventricularly 48 h before MCAO. Infarct volume, neurological score, immunofluorescence staining, Western blot, Fluoro-Jade C (FJC) and TUNEL staining were examined. The expression of endogenous PSAP and GPR37 were increased after MCAO. Intranasal administration of rPSAP reduced brain infarction, neuronal apoptosis, and improved both short- and long-term neurological function. Knockdown of endogenous PSAP aggravated neurological deficits. Treatment with exogenous rPSAP increased PI3K expression, Akt and ASK1 phosphorylation, and Bcl-2 expression; phosphorylated-JNK and Bax levels were reduced along with the number of FJC and TUNEL positive neurons. GPR37 siRNA and LY294002 abolished the anti-apoptotic effect of rPSAP at 24 h after MCAO. In conclusion, rPSAP attenuated neuronal apoptosis and improved neurological function through GPR37/PI3K/Akt/ASK1 pathway after MCAO in rats. Therefore, further exploration of PSAP as a potential treatment option in ischemic stroke is warranted.