The present study was designed to investigate the pattern of time-dependent expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARα, β, and γ) after global cerebral ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) damage in the rat hippocampus. Male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were subjected to global cerebral I/R. The rat hippocampi were isolated to detect the expression of PPARs mRNA and protein levels at 30 min–30 d after I/R by RT-PCR and Western blot analysis, respectively. The expression levels of PPARs mRNA and protein in the rat hippocampus significantly increased and peaked at 24 h for PPARα and γ (at 48 h for PPARβ) after I/R, then gradually decreased, and finally approached control levels on d 30. The present results suggest that global cerebral I/R can cause obvious increases of hippocampal PPARs mRNA and protein expression within 15 d after I/R. These findings may help to guide the experimental and clinical therapeutic use of PPARs agonists against brain injury.
