*Article* **Transient Receptor Potential Melastatin 2 (TRPM2) Inhibition by Antioxidant,** *N***-Acetyl-**l**-Cysteine, Reduces Global Cerebral Ischemia-Induced Neuronal Death**

**Dae Ki Hong 1, A Ra Kho 1, Song Hee Lee 1, Jeong Hyun Jeong 1, Beom Seok Kang 1, Dong Hyeon Kang 2, Min Kyu Park 1, Kyoung-Ha Park 3, Man-Sup Lim 4, Bo Young Choi 1,\* and Sang Won Suh 1,\***


Received: 9 July 2020; Accepted: 20 August 2020; Published: 21 August 2020

**Abstract:** A variety of pathogenic mechanisms, such as cytoplasmic calcium/zinc influx, reactive oxygen species production, and ionic imbalance, have been suggested to play a role in cerebral ischemia induced neurodegeneration. During the ischemic state that occurs after stroke or heart attack, it is observed that vesicular zinc can be released into the synaptic cleft, and then translocated into the cytoplasm via various cation channels. Transient receptor potential melastatin 2 (TRPM2) is highly distributed in the central nervous system and has high sensitivity to oxidative damage. Several previous studies have shown that TRPM2 channel activation contributes to neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration cascades. Therefore, we examined whether anti-oxidant treatment, such as with *N*-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC), provides neuroprotection via regulation of TRPM2, following global cerebral ischemia (GCI). Experimental animals were then immediately injected with NAC (150 mg/kg/day) for 3 and 7 days, before sacrifice. We demonstrated that NAC administration reduced activation of GCI-induced neuronal death cascades, such as lipid peroxidation, microglia and astroglia activation, free zinc accumulation, and TRPM2 over-activation. Therefore, modulation of the TRPM2 channel can be a potential therapeutic target to prevent ischemia-induced neuronal death.

**Keywords:** global cerebral ischemia; *N*-acetyl-l-cysteine; transient receptor potential melastatin 2; zinc; neurodegeneration
