The application and neuroprotective mechanisms of cerebral ischemic post-conditioning: A review

Ischemic stroke is a serious cerebrovascular disease that leads to death and/or severe disability, and extensive research has been directed in search of appropriate treatment measures. One such potential treatment is the use of cerebral ischemic post-conditioning (IPostC), and its neuroprotective effects and controllability have been widely confirmed and validated. Numerous studies have indicated that cerebral IPostC can suppress the inflammatory reaction in ischemia reperfusion injury, improve cerebral circulation, reduce infarct volume, and promote both neurogenesis and angiogenesis. The neuroprotective mechanisms underlying IPostC have been systematically studied, but still need a comprehensive summary and a more exhaustive understanding. Continuing research has proposed further applications of IPostC, including remote ischemic post-conditioning, pharmacologic ischemic post-conditioning, and delayed ischemic post-conditioning. However, most studies of IPostC are performed on animal models, and clinical studies are scarce. Therefore, future studies will need to focus on increasing our understanding of neuroprotective mechanisms underlying cerebral IPostC as well as accelerating its clinical translation.