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Background and Purpose: A new class of dihydropyridine derivatives, which act as co-inducers of heat shock protein but are devoid of calcium channel antagonist and vasodilator effects, has recently been developed with the purpose of selectively targeting neurodegeneration. Here, we evaluated the action of one of these novel compounds LA1011 on neurovascular coupling in the ischaemic rat cerebral cortex.As a reference, we applied nimodipine, a vasodilator dihydropyridine and wellknown calcium channel antagonist.Experimental Approach: Rats were treated with LA1011 or nimodipine, either by chronic, systemic (LA1011), or acute, local administration (LA1011 and nimodipine).In the latter treatment group, global forebrain ischaemia was induced in half of the animals by bilateral common carotid artery occlusion under isoflurane anaesthesia.Functional hyperaemia in the somatosensory cortex was created by mechanical stimulation of the contralateral whisker pad under α-chloralose anaesthesia. Spreading depolarization (SD) events were elicited subsequently by 1 M KCl. Local field potential and cerebral blood flow (CBF) in the parietal somatosensory cortex were monitored by electrophysiology and laser Doppler flowmetry.Key Results: LA1011 did not alter CBF, but intensified SD, presumably indicating the co-induction of heat shock proteins, and, perhaps an anti-inflammatory effect.Nimodipine attenuated evoked potentials and SD. In addition to the elevation of baseline CBF, nimodipine augmented hyperaemia in response to both somatosensory stimulation and SD, particularly under ischaemia. Conclusions and implications:In contrast to the CBF improvement achieved with nimodipine, LA1011 seems not to have discernible cerebrovascular effects but may up-regulate the stress response.Abbreviations: 2VO, permanent, bilateral occlusion of the common carotid arteries ("two-vessel occlusion"); CBF, cerebral blood flow; DC, direct current; EFP, evoked field potential; eNOS, endothelial NOS; Hsp, heat shock protein; LDF, laser Doppler flowmetry; LFP, local field potential; MABP, mean arterial BP; rSD, recurrent spreading depolarization; SD, spreading depolarization; SD1, the first spreading depolarization in a train of events

Selective elimination of microglia from the brain was shown to dysregulate neuronal Ca2+ signaling and to reduce the incidence of spreading depolarization (SD) during cerebral ischemia. However, the mechanisms through which microglia interfere with SD remained unexplored. Here, we identify microglia as essential modulators of the induction and evolution of SD in the physiologically intact brain in vivo. Confocal- and super-resolution microscopy revealed that a series of SDs induced rapid morphological changes in microglia, facilitated microglial process recruitment to neurons and increased the density of P2Y12 receptors (P2Y12R) on recruited microglial processes. In line with this, depolarization and hyperpolarization during SD were microglia- and P2Y12R-dependent. An absence of microglia was associated with altered potassium uptake after SD and increased the number of c-fos-positive neurons, independently of P2Y12R. Thus, the presence of microglia is likely to be essential to maintain the electrical elicitation threshold and to support the full evolution of SD, conceivably by interfering with the extracellular potassium homeostasis of the brain through sustaining [K+]e re-uptake mechanisms.

Secondary injury following acute brain insults significantly contributes to poorer neurological outcome. The spontaneous, recurrent occurrence of spreading depolarization events (SD) has been recognized as a potent secondary injury mechanism in subarachnoid hemorrhage, malignant ischemic stroke and traumatic brain injury. In addition, SD is the underlying mechanism of the aura symptoms of migraineurs. The susceptibility of the nervous tissue to SD is subject to the metabolic status of the tissue, the ionic composition of the extracellular space, and the functional status of ion pumps, voltage-gated and other cation channels, glutamate receptors and excitatory amino acid transporters. All these mechanisms tune the excitability of the nervous tissue. Aging has also been found to alter SD susceptibility, which appears to be highest at young adulthood, and decline over the aging process. The lower susceptibility of the cerebral gray matter to SD in the old brain may be caused by the age-related impairment of mechanisms implicated in ion translocations between the intra-and extracellular compartments, glutamate signaling and surplus potassium and glutamate clearance. Even though the aging nervous tissue is thus less able to sustain SD, the consequences of SD recurrence in the old brain have proven to be graver, possibly leading to accelerated lesion maturation. Taken that recurrent SDs may pose an increased burden in the aging injured brain, the benefit of therapeutic approaches to restrict SD generation and propagation may be particularly relevant for elderly patients.