Bioinformatic identification of key biomarkers in the brain and blood involved in ischemia preconditioning protection against acute ischemic stroke in mice

Objective: The pathophysiologic processes of ischemic stroke may be implicated in brain damage and circulatory disorders. This study explored the co-biomarkers in the brain and blood that are involved in ischemic preconditioning (IPC) in a mouse model of ischemic stroke induced by transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Methods: GSE32529 datasets were downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus, which included brain and blood samples from three groups (Control, Model or IPC group). Bioinformatic analysis was applied to identify co-genes in the brain and blood that are involved in ischemia preconditioning (IPC) treatment in MCAO mice. Results: The IPC-related key co-genes, interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-C motif chemokine ligand-2 (CCL2), tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP1), and chemokine CXC motif ligand-1 (CXCL1), were identified among the top 10 hub genes in both the brain and blood of the MCAO mice. Moreover, ischemic stroke-related interference scores of these co-genes ranged from 42.45 to 144.19 in the Comparative Toxicogenomics database, suggesting the involvement of four co-hub genes in ischemic brain injury. Conclusion: The current findings provide novel insight into key co-biomarkers and therapeutic targets that may be useful for the diagnosis of acute ischemic stroke.