Hemoglobin induced NO/cGMP suppression Deteriorate Microcirculation via Pericyte Phenotype Transformation after Subarachnoid Hemorrhage in Rats

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) usually results from ruptured aneurysm, but how leaked hemoglobin regulates the microcirculation in the pathophysiology of early brain injury after SAH is still unclear. In the present study, we sought to investigate the role and possible mechanism of hemoglobin induced pericyte phenotype transformation in the regulation of microcirculation after SAH. Endovascular perforation SAH rat model, brain slices and cultured pericytes were used, and intervened with endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) antagonist L-NNA and its agonist scutellarin, hemoglobin, DETA/NO (nitric oxide(NO) donor), PITO (NO scavenger), 8-Br-cGMP (cGMP analog). We found modulating eNOS regulated pericyte α-SMA phenotype transformation, microcirculation, and neurological function in SAH rats. Modulating eNOS also affected eNOS expression, eNOS activity and NO availability after SAH. In addition, we showed hemoglobins penetrated into brain parenchyma after SAH. And hemoglobins significantly reduced the microvessel diameters at pericyte sites, due to the effects of hemoglobin inducing α-SMA expressions in cultured pericytes and brain slices via inhibiting NO/cGMP pathway. In conclusion, pericyte α-SMA phenotype mediates acute microvessel constriction after SAH possibly by hemoglobin suppressing NO/cGMP signaling pathway. Therefore, by targeting the eNOS and pericyte α-SMA phenotype, our present data may shed new light on the management of SAH patients.