[Regulatory T cells are involved in sevoflurane preconditioning-induced mouse brain protection against cerebral ischemia injury].

Objective To determine whether regulatory T cells (Tregs) are involved in sevoflurane preconditioning-induced brain protection against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury. Methods C57BL/6 mice were preconditioned with sevoflurane and then subjected to the middle cerebral artery occlusion modeling. The brain infarct volume and neurological score were assessed at 48 hours after cerebral reperfusion. Meanwhile, the proportion of Tregs in the spleen was analyzed by flow cytometry. Then, CD25 neutralizing antibody was administrated by intraperitoneal injection, following with the analysis of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury and the proportion of Tregs in the spleen after sevoflurane preconditioning. Results Compared with a control group, sevoflurane preconditioning markedly mitigated the cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury in the mice including the infarct volume and neurological score. In the meantime, sevoflurane preconditioning significantly increased the proportion of Tregs in the spleen at 48 hours after cerebral reperfusion. Compared with the isotype antibody group, the CD25 neutralizing antibody reversed the increase of Tregs induced by sevoflurane preconditioning at 48 hours after reperfusion, which was also associated with the reversal of sevoflurane preconditioning-induced protectetion against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury. Conclusion Tregs are involved in sevoflurane preconditioning-induced cerebral protection against ischemia/reperfusion injury.