Microglial mitochondrial DNA release contributes to neuroinflammation after intracerebral hemorrhage through activating AIM2 inflammasome

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a severe disease that often leads to disability and death. Neuroinflammatory response is a key causative factor of early secondary brain injury after ICH. AIM2 is a DNA-sensing protein that recognizes cytosolic double-stranded DNA and take a significant part in neuroinflammation. Mitochondrial DNA participates in the translation of proteins such as the respiratory chain in the mitochondria. Whether mtDNA is involved in forming AIM2 inflammasome after ICH remains unclear. We used mice to construct ICH model in vivo and we used BV2 microglial cells treated with oxyhemoglobin to simulate ICH in vitro. Following lentiviral transfection to overexpress AIM2 antagonist P202, a notable decrease was observed in the levels of AIM2 inflammasome-associated proteins, leading to a reduction in dead neurons surrounding the hematoma and an enhancement in long-term and short-term behavior of neurological deficits. We further explored whether mtDNA took part in the AIM2 activation after ICH. The cytosolic mtDNA level was down-regulated by the mitochondrial division protector Mdivi-1 and up-regulated by transfection of mtDNA into cytoplasm. We found the expression level of AIM2 inflammasome-related proteins and inflammatory cytokines release were regulated by the cytosolic mtDNA level. In conclusion, after ICH, the mtDNA content in the cytoplasm of microglia around the hematoma rises, causing AIM2 inflammation leading to neuronal apoptosis, which leads to neurological deficits in mice. On the other hand, P202 was able to block inflammatory vesicle activation and improve neurological function by preventing the interaction between AIM2 protein and mitochondrial DNA.