Protective Effects of PGC-1α Activators on Ischemic Stroke in a Rat Model of Photochemically Induced Thrombosis.

The pharmacological induction and activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1 alpha (PGC-1α), a key regulator of ischemic brain tolerance, is a promising direction in neuroprotective therapy. Pharmacological agents with known abilities to modulate cerebral PGC-1α are scarce. This study focused on the potential PGC-1α-modulating activity of Mexidol (2-ethyl-6-methyl-3-hydroxypyridine succinate) and Semax (ACTH analog) in a rat model of photochemical-induced thrombosis (PT) in the prefrontal cortex.