Glibenclamide ameliorates the disrupted blood–brain barrier in experimental intracerebral hemorrhage by inhibiting the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome

BACKGROUND: Glibenclamide is a widely used sulfonylurea drug prescribed to treat type II diabetes mellitus. Previous studies have demonstrated that glibenclamide has neuroprotective effects in central nervous system injury. However, the exact mechanism by which glibenclamide acts on the blood–brain barrier (BBB) after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to validate the neuroprotective effects of glibenclamide on ICH and to explore the mechanisms underlying these effects. METHODS: We investigated the effects of glibenclamide on experimental ICH using the autologous blood infusion model. Glibenclamide was administrated either immediately or 2 hr after ICH. Brain edema was quantified using the wet–dry method 3 days after injury. BBB integrity was evaluated by Evans Blue extravasation and degradation of the tight junction protein zona occludens‐1 (ZO‐1). mRNA levels of inflammatory cytokines were determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Activation of the nucleotide‐binding oligomerization domain‐like receptor with a pyrin domain 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome and cell viability were also measured in cerebral microvascular endothelial b.End3 cells exposed to hemin. Neurological changes were evaluated by the Garcia score and rotarod test. RESULTS: After ICH, the brain water content, Evans Blue extravasation, and inflammatory cytokines decreased significantly in the ipsilateral hemisphere of the experimental compared to the vehicle group. Glibenclamide treatment and NLRP3 knockdown significantly reduced hemin‐induced activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome, release of extracellular lactate dehydrogenase, apoptosis, and loss of ZO‐1 in b.End3 cells. However, NLRP3 knockdown abolished the protective effect of glibenclamide. CONCLUSION: Glibenclamide maintained BBB integrity in experimental ICH by inhibiting the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in microvessel endothelial cells. Our findings will contribute to elucidating the pharmacological mechanism of action of glibenclamide and to developing a novel therapy for clinical ICH.