BPB Reports

2026 - Vol. 9 No. 2

2026 - Vol. 9

Report
Serine Protease Inhibitor A3N Expression Increases in the Brain, Liver, and Blood After Cerebral Ischemia in Mice Vol.9, No.2, p.24-28
Saki Egashira , Keiichi Irie , Mayuka Morimoto , Takafumi Nakano , Akiko Manabe , Ayuko Masaki , Rie Mukai , Yoshihiko Nakamura , Masato Hosokawa , Tomomitsu Satho , Kazunori Sano , Kenichi Mishima
Received: September 29, 2025
Accepted: February 06, 2026
Released: March 11, 2026
Abstract Full Text PDF[439K]

Objective: There is increasing research interest on the impact of ischemic stroke on organs beyond the central nervous system, and it is now widely recognized that cerebral ischemia induces multiple alterations in peripheral systems. Therefore, it is necessary to elucidate the systemic consequences of cerebral ischemia. Serine protease inhibitor a3 (SERPINA3), a secretory immune-related molecule produced primarily in the liver and brain under normal conditions, is upregulated in response to inflammation. Here, we examined Serpina3n gene expression in the brain and liver and evaluated plasma SERPINA3N protein concentrations following cerebral ischemia using a mouse model. Methods: We examined changes in SERPINA3N levels in the brain, liver, and blood over time using a mouse model of focal cerebral ischemia induced by middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion for 4 h followed by reperfusion. Brain, liver, and blood samples were collected on days 1, 3, and 7 after MCA occlusion (MCAo). Serpina3n gene expression levels in the brain and liver were measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and plasma SERPINA3N levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: Serpina3n gene expression levels in the brain and liver were increased on day 1 after MCAo. Plasma SERPINA3N protein levels were increased and peaked on day 1 after MCAo. Conclusion: A mouse model of cerebral ischemia showed increased Serpina3n gene expression in the liver and SERPINA3N protein level in plasma. This is the first study of the effects of plasma SERPINA3N protein levels using a mouse model of cerebral ischemia.