Low oxygen post conditioning improves stroke-induced cognitive impairment

Post-stroke cognitive impairment has proven to be notoriously difficult to treat. In the current study, we sought to both better understand cellular changes that underpin cognitive deficits and to consider the potential restorative benefits of low oxygen post conditioning (LOPC). We were motivated to use LOPC as an intervention as it is one of the few experimental interventions previously shown to improve cognitive function post-stroke. Experimental stroke was induced by photothrombotic occlusion in adult male C57BL/6 mice. Mice were randomly assigned to either a normal atmospheric air exposure or low oxygen (11% O2) exposure groups three days post-occlusion. On day 17 post-stroke, mice were euthanized for histology or biochemical analyses. Stroked mice exposed to LOPC was associated with marked reductions in amyloid-beta both in its absolute level and in the extent of its oligomerization. Exposure to LOPC post-stroke also improved cellular deficits induced by stroke including an increase in vessel density, a reduction in vascular leakage, and restoration of AQP4 polarisation. Critically, stroked mice exposed to LOPC exhibited robust improvements in cognitive function post-stroke, assessed using a touchscreen based paired-associate learning task. These findings provide compelling pre-clinical evidence of the potential clinical utility of LOPC for enhancing recovery post-stroke.