cGAS/STING Pathway Activation Contributes to Delayed Neurodegeneration in Neonatal Hypoxia-Ischemia Rat Model: Possible Involvement of LINE-1

cGAS is a sensor of cytosolic DNA and responds equally to exogenous and endogenous DNA. After recognition of cytosolic dsDNA or ssDNA, cGAS synthesizes the second messenger 2'3'-cGAMP, which then binds to and activates stimulator of interferon genes (STING). STING plays an essential role in responding to pathogenic DNA and self-DNA in the context of autoimmunity. In pathologic conditions, such as stroke or hypoxia-ischemia (HI), DNA can gain access into the cytoplasm of the cell and leak from the dying cells into the extracellular environment, which potentially activates cGAS/STING. Recent in vivo studies of myocardial ischemia, traumatic brain injury, and liver damage models suggest that activation of cGAS/STING is not only a side-effect of the injury, but it can also actively contribute to cell death and apoptosis. We found, for the first time, that cGAS/STING pathway becomes activated between 24 and 48 h after HI in a 10-day-old rat model. Silencing STING with siRNA resulted in decreased infarction area, reduced cortical neurodegeneration, and improved neurobehavior at 48 h, suggesting that STING can contribute to injury progression after HI. STING colocalized with lysosomal marker LAMP-1 and blocking STING reduced the expression of cathepsin B and decreased the expression of Bax and caspase 3 cleavage. We observed similar protective effects after intranasal treatment with cGAS inhibitor RU.521, which were reversed by administration of STING agonist 2'3'-cGAMP. Additionally, we showed that long interspersed element 1 (LINE-1) retrotransposon, a potential upstream activator of cGAS/STING pathway was induced at 48 h after HI, which was evidenced by increased expression of ORF1p and ORF2p proteins and increased LINE-1 DNA content in the cytosol. Blocking LINE-1 with the nucleoside analog reverse-transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) stavudine reduced infarction area, neuronal degeneration in the cerebral cortex, and reduced the expression of Bax and cleaved caspase 3. Thus, our results identify the cGAS/STING pathway as a potential therapeutic target to inhibit delayed neuronal death after HI.