Neuroprotection in focal cerebral ischemia owing to delayed treatment with melanocortins

In gerbils subjected to transient global cerebral ischemia, melanocortin peptides produce long-lasting protection with a broad time window, and through the activation of central nervous system melanocortin MC4 receptors. Here we aimed to investigate whether melanocortins are neuroprotective also in a rat model of focal cerebral ischemia induced by intrastriatal microinjection of endothelin-1. The vasoconstrictor agent endothelin-1 caused a significant impairment in spatial learning and memory, as well as in sensory-motor orientation and limb use, associated with severe striatal morphological damage including intense neuronal death and an almost complete myelin degradation. Treatment of ischemic rats with a nanomolar dose (340 μg/kg/day i.p. for 11 days, beginning 3 h or 9 h after endothelin-1 microinjection) of the melanocortin analog [Nle4, d-Phe7]α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (NDP-α-MSH) significantly reduced striatal damage, and improved subsequent functional recovery, with all scheduled NDP-α-MSH treatments. Pharmacological blockade of melanocortin MC4 receptors prevented the protective effect of NDP-α-MSH. Our findings give evidence that melanocortins are neuroprotective, with a broad time window, also in a severe model of focal cerebral ischemia, and suggest that melanocortin MC4 receptor agonists could produce neuroprotection in different experimental models of ischemic stroke.