Blockade of Nogo-A/Nogo-66 receptor 1 (NgR1) Inhibits Autophagic Activation and Prevents Secondary Neuronal Damage in the Thalamus after Focal Cerebral Infarction in Hypertensive Rats

Focal cerebral infarction leads to autophagic activation, which contributes to secondary neuronal damage in the ipsilateral thalamus. Although Nogo-A deactivation enhances neuronal plasticity, its role in autophagic activation in the thalamus after ischemic stroke remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the potential roles of Nogo-A/Nogo-66 receptor 1 (NgR1) in autophagic activation in the ipsilateral thalamus after cerebral infarction. Focal neocortical infarction was established using the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) method. Secondary damage in the ipsilateral thalamus was assessed by Nissl staining and immunostaining. The expression of Nogo-A, NgR1, Rho-A and Rho-associated coiled-coil containing protein kinase 1 (ROCK1) as well as autophagic flux were evaluated by immunofluorescence and immunoblotting. The roles of Nogo-A–NgR1 signaling in autophagic activation were determined by intraventricular delivery of an NgR1 antagonist peptide, NEP1–40, at 24 h after MCAO. The results showed that Nogo-A and NgR1 overexpression temporally coincided with marked increases in the levels of Beclin1, LC3-II and sequestosome 1 (SQSTM1)/p62 in the ipsilateral thalamus at seven and fourteen days after MCAO. In contrast, NEP1–40 treatment significantly reduced the expression of Rho-A and ROCK1 which was accompanied by marked reductions of LC3-II conversion as well as the levels of Beclin1 and SQSTM1/p62. Furthermore, NEP1–40 treatment significantly reduced neuronal loss and gliosis in the ipsilateral thalamus, and accelerated somatosensory recovery at the observed time-points after MCAO. These results suggest that blockade of Nogo-A–NgR1 signaling inhibits autophagic activation, attenuates secondary neuronal damage in the ipsilateral thalamus, and promotes functional recovery after focal cerebral cortical infarction.