Delayed Administration of Tat-HA-NR2B9c Promotes Recovery After Stroke in Rats

Background and Purpose—Previous studies reported that Tat-NR2B9c, a peptide disrupting the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor–postsynaptic density protein-95 interaction, reduced ischemic damage in the acute phase after stroke. However, its effect in the subacute phase is unknown. The aim of this study is to determine whether disrupting the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor–postsynaptic density protein-95 interaction in the subacute phase promotes recovery after stroke. Methods—Studies were performed on Sprague-Dawley rats or nNOS−/− mice, and experimental ischemic stroke was induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion. Animals were treated with drugs starting at day 4 after ischemia. Sensorimotor functions and spatial learning and memory ability were assessed after drug treatment. Then, rats were euthanized for morphological observation and biochemical tests. Results—Disrupting the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor–postsynaptic density protein-95 interaction with Tat-HA-NR2B9c significantly ameliorated the ischemia-i...