Cerebral ischemic injury caused by bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCAo) shows impaired neurological deficit and sensory motor dysfunction. Enhanced production of oxidative stress markers (TBARS) and depletion of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) is involved in the development of apoptosis in brain. Chronic administration of AT1 blocker losartan prevents brain injury caused by ischemia and reperfusion. The present study is aimed to test the chronic oral administration of Losartan AT1 blocker in mice with cerebral ischemia/reperfusion induced stroke. The two different doses of Losartan (1mg & 10mg) were used in the present experimental model of stroke. The data from sensory and neurobehavioral of ischemic mice treated with losartan suggests an improvement in the sensory motor and neurological deficit due to chronic blockade of AT1 receptor in the brain. In addition Losartan treatment reduced the lipid per oxidation and influences Bcl-2 and attenuates Caspase-3 in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus of the ischemic mouse brain. This is the first kind of reports suggests that long term oral administration after 40 day of reperfusion influences the anti-apoptotic markers of the mouse brain. The anti-apoptotic effect of losartan in this study may have the potential for stroke prevention.
