Activation of cerebral peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors gamma promotes neuroprotection by attenuation of neuronal cyclooxygenase-2 overexpression after focal cerebral ischemia in rats.

Up-regulation of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 exacerbates neuronal injury after cerebral ischemia and contributes to neuronal cell death. The present study clarifies the function of cerebral peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptor(s) gamma (PPARgamma) in the expression of COX-2 in neurons of the rat brain after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) with reperfusion by immunohistochemistry, Western blot, and immunofluorescence staining. In peri-infarct cortical areas the PPARgamma was located in both microglia and neurons, whereas COX-2 was almost exclusively expressed in neurons.