Cerebrovascular G Proteins Protect Against Brain Hypoperfusion and Collateral Failure in Cerebral Ischemia.

Cerebral hypoperfusion and vascular dysfunction are closely related to common risk factors for ischemic stroke such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, and smoking. The role of inhibitory G protein-dependent receptor (GPCR) signaling in regulating cerebrovascular functions remains largely elusive. We examined the importance of GPCR signaling in cerebral blood flow (CBF) and its stability after sudden interruption using various in vivo high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging techniques. To this end, we induced a functional knockout of GPCR signaling in the brain vasculature by injection of pertussis toxin (PTX). Our results show that PTX induced global brain hypoperfusion and microvascular collapse. When PTX-pretreated animals underwent transient unilateral occlusion of one common carotid artery, CBF was disrupted in the ipsilateral hemisphere resulting in the collapse of the cortically penetrating microvessels. In addition, pronounced stroke features in the affected brain regions appeared in both MRI and histological examination. Our findings suggest an impact of cerebrovascular GPCR signaling in the maintenance of CBF, which may be useful for novel pharmacotherapeutic approaches to prevent and treat cerebrovascular dysfunction and stroke.