# Exploration of the Preventive and Therapeutic Effects of D-Lactate Administration in a Mouse MCAO Model

## TL;DR

This study investigated whether D-lactate, a gut-derived metabolite, could prevent or treat stroke in mice, but found no significant benefits.

## Contribution

The novel contribution is the experimental evaluation of D-lactate's potential as a preventive or therapeutic agent for stroke in a mouse model.

## Key findings

- D-lactate administration did not reduce infarct size in mice subjected to MCAO.
- No significant improvement in neurological deficits or sensorimotor function was observed with D-lactate treatment.
- Both pre- and post-treatment with D-lactate showed no beneficial effects compared to the control group.

## Abstract

Background: Stroke is a major global risk to human health due to its high incidence, mortality, and prevalence of associated long-term disabilities. Recent studies have highlighted a significant impact of the gut–brain axis and metabolites derived from intestinal microbiota on modulating neurological disorders, including stroke. Methods: In this study, we investigated the effects of pre- and post-treatment with D-lactate, a lactate stereoisomer mainly produced by certain gut bacteria, on stroke outcome using a transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) mouse model. For this purpose, male C57BL/6J mice received a single administration of D-lactate or vehicle (PBS) via the tail vein either before the MCAO surgery, as a preventive approach, or upon reperfusion, as a therapeutic paradigm. Functional outcome was assessed daily using a standard neuroscore and the adhesive removal test until day three post-surgery, when mice were sacrificed. Results: Our results indicated no significant difference in infarct size, measured using cresyl violet staining, between the D-lactate and PBS groups in both pre- and post-treatment experiments. In addition, evaluation of neurological deficits and sensorimotor function showed no statistically significant differences between the interventions throughout the experiment. Conclusions: The present data suggest that treatment with D-lactate does not show a beneficial effect in our C57BL/6J mouse MCAO model.