Alteplase Improves Neurological Function and Affects Expression of SDF-1 and Claudin-5 in Rats with Acute Cerebral Infarction

We aimed to explore the effects of alteplase on neurological function and expression of stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) and Claudin-5 in rats with acute cerebral infarction (ACI). 120 Sprague–Dawley rats were divided into sham operation group (SOG), model group (MG), and thrombolysis group (TG) with 40 rats in each group. Rats in the TG were injected with alteplase via the femoral vein, whereas those in the MG and SOG were injected with the same volume of normal saline. Ten rats from each group were sacrificed to measure the lesion area with hematoxylin–eosin staining, whereas another 10 rats from each group were sacrificed to determine the water content of brain tissues. The remaining 20 rats were tested for the expressions of serum SDF-1 and Claudin-5 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The expression of SDF-1 in the TG was lower than that in the MG but higher than that in the SOG, whereas the expression of Claudin-5 showed the opposite outcome. The general conditions, behavioral expression, neurological behaviors, and nerve injury degree in the TG were better than those in the MG but worse than those in the SOG. The lesion area and water content in the TG were lower than those in the MG, and the contents of IL-6 and IL-1β in the TG were lower than those in the MG but higher than those in the SOG. Alteplase can improve the neurological function, downregulate SDF-1, and upregulate Claudin-5 in the treatment of ACI.