Follistatin-like 1 attenuates apoptosis via disco-interacting protein 2 homolog A/Akt pathway after middle cerebral artery occlusion in rats.

Background And Purpose: Follistatin-like 1 (FSTL1), an extracellular glycoprotein, has been reported to decrease apoptosis in ischemic cardiac diseases, but its effect in ischemic stroke has not been examined. We hypothesized that recombinant FSTL1 attenuates neuronal apoptosis through its receptor disco-interacting protein 2 homolog A (DIP2A) and the Akt pathway after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in rats.

Methods: One hundred forty male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to 2 hours of MCAO followed by reperfusion.