Disclosures: Je Shik Nam, MD: No financial relationships or conflicts of interest

Background and/or Objectives: Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a multifunctional immune cytokine which is known to play a neuroprotective role in in vitro ischemic stroke models, however the neuroprotective effect in an in vivo model is not yet clear. This study aimed to investigate if the MIF promotes neurological recovery in an in vivo stroke mice model.

Design: Animal research study

Setting: Laboratory

Participants: The group was allocated to sham vehicle (n=15), sham MIF (n=11), middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) vehicle (n=14), and MCAO MIF (n=14).

Interventions: Transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) is performed to male mice in MCAO groups. Vehicle and MIF was administered through intracerebroventricular route.

Main Outcome Measures: We evaluated the neurological functional scale and rotarod test, and T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. As secondary outcome, the expression level of microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2), Bcl2, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) was measured by western blot assay.

Results: The neurological scale was significantly higher in MCAO MIF group compared to MCAO vehicle group. MCAO vehicle group exhibited significantly poorer performance on the rotarod test than MCAO MIF group. MCAO MIF group had significantly reduced total infarct volume compared with MCAO vehicle group on T2-weighted MRI image. Expression levels of BDNF, Bcl2, and MAP2 tend to be higher in MCAO MIF group than MCAO vehicle group.

Conclusions: This study suggests that MIF has neuroprotective effect on in vivo ischemic stroke model. MIF seems to facilitate neurological recovery and protect the brain tissue from ischemic injury. This offers possibility of future novel therapeutic agents for stroke patients.

Level of Evidence: Level V

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PM&R Meeting Abstracts - https://pmrjabstracts.org/abstract/neuroprotective-effect-of-macrophage-migration-inhibitory-factor-in-ischemic-stroke-mice-model/