γ‐Glutamylcysteine Alleviates Ischemic Stroke‐Induced Neuronal Apoptosis by Inhibiting ROS‐Mediated Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress

Ischemic stroke is a severe and acute neurological disorder with limited therapeutic strategies currently available. Oxidative stress is one of the critical pathological factors in ischemia/reperfusion injury, and high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) may drive neuronal apoptosis. Rescuing neurons in the penumbra is a potential way to recover from ischemic stroke. Endogenous levels of the potent ROS quencher glutathione (GSH) decrease significantly after cerebral ischemia. Here, we aimed to investigate the neuroprotective effects of γ ‐glutamylcysteine ( γ ‐GC), an immediate precursor of GSH, on neuronal apoptosis and brain injury during ischemic stroke. Middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and oxygen‐glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) were used to mimic cerebral ischemia in mice, neuronal cell lines, and primary neurons. Our data indicated that exogenous γ ‐GC treatment mitigated oxidative stress, as indicated by upregulated GSH and decreased ROS levels. In addition, γ ‐GC attenuated ischemia/reperfusion‐induced neuronal apoptosis and brain injury in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, transcriptomics approaches and subsequent validation studies revealed that γ ‐GC attenuated penumbra neuronal apoptosis by inhibiting the activation of protein kinase R‐like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK) and inositol‐requiring enzyme 1 α (IRE1 α ) in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress signaling pathway in OGD/R‐treated cells and ischemic brain tissues. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to report that γ ‐GC attenuates ischemia‐induced neuronal apoptosis by suppressing ROS‐mediated ER stress. γ ‐GC may be a promising therapeutic agent for ischemic stroke.