Peroxisomal biogenesis in ischemic brain.

Abstract Aims: Peroxisomes are highly adaptable and dynamic organelles, adjusting their size, number, and enzyme composition to changing environmental and metabolic demands. We determined whether peroxisomes respond to ischemia, and whether peroxisomal biogenesis is an adaptive response to cerebral ischemia. Results: Focal cerebral ischemia induced peroxisomal biogenesis in peri-infarct neurons, which was associated with a corresponding increase in peroxisomal antioxidant enzyme catalase. Peroxisomal biogenesis was also observed in primary cultured cortical neurons subjected to ischemic insult induced by oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD). A catalase inhibitor increased OGD-induced neuronal death. Moreover, preventing peroxisomal proliferation by knocking down dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) exacerbated neuronal death induced by OGD, whereas enhancing peroxisomal biogenesis pharmacologically using a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha agonist protected against neuronal death induced by OGD. In...