Transcriptome analysis of the effects of melanocortin and tuftsin analogues in rat brain at 4.5h after tMCAO

White 2-month-old male rats of the Wistar line (weight, 200-250 g) were used. The model of transient cerebral focal ischemia (tMCAO) was used. The animals were divided into the "sham-operation after saline administration" (SH4.5), "tMCAO after saline administration" (IR24), "tMCAO after MEHFPGP (ACTH(4-7)PGP, Semax) administration" (IS4.5), "tMCAO after TKPRPGP (Selank) administration" (IL4.5) and "tMCAO after HFRWPGP (ACTH(6-9)PGP) administration" (IA4.5) groups. Each group contained 3 animals. tMCAO in experimental rats was initiated by endovascular occlusion of right middle cerebral artery using monofilament for 90 minutes followed by reperfusion. The anaesthesia was induced by 3% isoflurane and maintained by 1.5-2% isoflurane. The rats were taken out of anaesthesia for 85 min after monofilament insertion and re-anaesthetized for 5 min to remove monofilament. The sham-operated rats were subjected to a similar surgical procedure under anaesthesia (neck incision and separation of the bifurcation), but without tMCAO. The rats in respective groups were injected intraperitoneally two times with either Semax (100 microg/kg), Selank (200 microg/kg), ACTH(6-9)PGP (100 microg/kg), or saline at 90 min, and 2.5 hours after tMCAO. At 4.5 h after sham/tMCAO operation, rats were decapitated, the frontal cortex was dissected and total RNA was isolated. The mRNA fraction was subjected to High-throughput RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq). Sequencing was done using an Illumina HiSeq 1500 instrument. At least 10 million reads (1/50 nt) were generated.