H₂S-mediated inhibition of RhoA/ROCK pathway and noncoding RNAs in ischemic stroke

Ischemic stroke is one of major causes of disability. In the pathological process of ischemic stroke, the up-regulation of Ras homolog gene family, member A (RhoA) and its downstream effector, Ras homolog gene family (Rho)-associated coiled coil-containing kinase (ROCK), contribute to the neuroinflammation, blood-brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction, neuronal apoptosis, axon growth inhibition and astrogliosis. Accumulating evidences have revealed that hydrogen sulphide (H₂S) could reduce brain injury in animal model of ischemic stroke via inhibiting the RhoA/ROCK pathway. Recently, noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) such as circular RNAs (circRNAs), long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) have attracted much attention because of their essential role in adjusting gene expression both in physiological and pathological conditions. Numerous studies have uncovered the role of RhoA/ROCK pathway and ncRNAs in ischemic stroke. In this review, we focused on the role of H₂S, RhoA/ROCK pathway and ncRNAs in ischemic stroke and aimed to reveal new strategies for preventing and treating this devastating disease.