Protective Role of Low Ethanol Administration Following Ischemic Stroke via Recovery of KCC2 and p75NTR Expression

A striking result from epidemiological studies show a correlation between low alcohol intake and lower incidence for ischemic stroke and severity of derived brain injury. Although reduced apoptosis and inflammation has been suggested to be involved, little is known about the mechanism mediating this effect in vivo. Increase in intracellular chloride concentration and derived depolarizing GABA(A)R-mediated transmission are common consequences following various brain injuries and are caused by the abnormal expression levels of the chloride cotransporters NKCC1 and KCC2. Downstream pro-apoptotic signaling through p75(NTR) may link GABA(A) depolarization with post-injury neuronal apoptosis. Here, we show that changes in GABAergic signaling, Cl- homeostasis, and expression of chloride cotransporters in the post-traumatic mouse brain can be significantly reduced by administration of 3% ethanol to the drinking water. Ethanol-induced upregulation of KCC2 has a positive impact on neuronal survival, preserving a large part of the cortical peri-infarct zone, as well as preventing the massive post-ischemic upregulation of the pro-apoptotic protein p75(NTR). Importantly, intracortical multisite in vivo recordings showed that ethanol treatment could significantly ameliorate stroke-induced reduction in cortical activity. This surprising finding discloses a pathway triggered by low concentration of ethanol as a novel therapeutically relevant target.

Automated summary

There is a correlation between low alcohol intake and lower incidence of ischemic stroke and severity of brain injury, with the administration of 3% ethanol significantly reducing changes in GABAergic signaling, Cl- homeostasis, and expression of chloride cotransporters in the post-traumatic mouse brain. Ethanol-induced upregulation of KCC2 positively impacts neuronal survival and prevents post-ischemic upregulation of the pro-apoptotic protein p75(NTR), potentially serving as a novel therapeutic target for stroke.