A likely protective effect of dimethyl itaconate on cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury

As a membrane-permeable derivative of itaconate, dimethyl itaconate (DMI) was recently showed to limit inflammatory response of activated macrophages, and to decrease the generation of reactive oxygen species and reduce cardiac ischemia/reperfusion injury. However, the effect of DMI in the context of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury remains unclear. Here, we treated the transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) mice with DMI or saline at the beginning of occlusion, and allowed them to recover for 3 days. We found that DMI obviously decreased the neurologic deficit score. Further, DMI significantly inhibited the toxic conversion of the peri-infarct microglia, and decreased the protein level of interleukin 1β. The present findings suggest that DMI might be recognized as a promising candidate for the treatment of ischemic stroke.