Fig. 1.

Aleglitazar reduces stroke damage and expression of inflammatory molecules after mild transient brain ischemia. Treatment with aleglitazar was begun on the day on which brain ischemia was induced. Daily treatment with aleglitazar was continued until sacrifice (a, b). Infarct size at 7 days after 30 min MCAo/reperfusion was assessed using NeuN-stained coronal brain sections. N = 6–8 mice per group. One-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s multiple comparison test. *p < 0.05 versus vehicle-treated control mice. c Aleglitazar improves sensorimotor outcome after 30 min MCAo/reperfusion. N = 3–7 mice per group. Two-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s multiple comparison test within each time point. *p < 0.05 and **p < 0.01 aleglitazar versus vehicle, ^##p < 0.01 and ^###p < 0.001 MCAo versus sham. d Aleglitazar provides neuroprotection against oxygen–glucose deprivation (OGD). Primary cortical neurons were pretreated with aleglitazar or vehicle for 24 h. Neuronal injury was assessed by measuring lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release into the cell culture medium 24 h after OGD. MK-801 served as a positive control. N = 5 independent cultures per condition. Two-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s multiple comparison test. ****p < 0.0001 relative to sham cultures; ^#p < 0.05, ^##p < 0.01 for the effect of treatment with aleglitazar within the OGD condition. e Expression of inflammatory and angiogenesis-related genes in the ipsilateral, i.e., ischemic MCA territory at 7 days. Relative mRNA expression is reported as the value normalized to receptor accessory protein 5 (Reep5). N = 4–5 mice per group. Two-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s multiple comparison test. *p < 0.05 relative to sham. ^#p < 0.05 relative to vehicle-treated MCAo animals. f IL-1β and KC/GRO-alpha (CXCL1) concentrations were also measured in serum at 7 days. N = 4–5 mice per group. Two-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s multiple comparison test. ^#p < 0.05 relative to vehicle-treated MCAo animals. g VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 Western blots were performed at 7 days. N = 3 mice per group. Two-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s multiple comparison test. *p < 0.05 and **p < 0.01 relative to sham. ^#p < 0.05 and ^##p < 0.01 relative to vehicle-treated MCAo animals