Interferon-β administration confers a beneficial outcome in a rabbit model of thromboembolic cerebral ischemia

We demonstrate that treatment with the cytokine human interferon-β (IFN-β) resulted in a beneficial outcome in a rabbit model of thromboembolic cerebral ischemia. Rabbits administered subcutaneously with IFN-β prior to (pre-treatment) or after (post-treatment) the introduction of an autologous blood clot into the middle cerebral artery have consistently smaller subcortical infarct volumes compared to control (untreated) counterparts. The average subcortical infarct volume of pre-treatment rabbits is 46.3±9.3 mm3 (n=4), and that of post-treatment rabbit is 40.0±23.1 mm3 (n=4). Both are significantly lower (P=0.003 and P=0.004, respectively) than the average subcortical infarct volume of control rabbits (121.6±32.9 mm3, n=5). Although the precise mechanism responsible for the beneficial effect of IFN-β on stroke is not yet clear, our results are in line with the known anti-inflammatory potential and anti-apoptotic function of IFN-β.