International journal of molecular sciencesOct 16, 2026

Evaluating TUDCA's Brain Protection in Stroke Using Multiple Animal and Cell Models

Gut-Brain Axis Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗OA ↗

Updated Oct 17, 2026

Abstract

Tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) at a dose of 100 mg/kg did not significantly affect infarct volume or neurological outcomes in mouse models of ischemic stroke.

Ischemic stroke represents 87% of all strokes and is a significant cause of death and disability.
TUDCA was evaluated for neuroprotective effects in male mice subjected to two types of stroke models.
Primary outcomes included infarct size, neurological score, and blood-brain barrier integrity.
Administration of TUDCA before or after stroke did not significantly improve any of the measured outcomes.
No evidence was found that TUDCA preserved blood-brain barrier integrity or mitigated leakage in vitro.

Simplified

Ischemic stroke accounts for 87% of all strokes and remains a leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide, yet therapeutic options remain limited. Emerging evidence on the gut-brain axis and microbial metabolites as modulators of stroke outcome has positioned tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA), a taurine-conjugated secondary bile acid, as a candidate neuroprotective agent. Here, we evaluated the effects of intravenous TUDCA (100 mg/kg) in male C57BL/6 mice subjected to transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) or permanent distal middle cerebral artery occlusion (dMCAO), administered either one hour before or after stroke induction. Infarct size, neurological score, and IgG extravasation served as primary outcome measures, and blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity was further assessed using a human iPSC-derived BBB organ-on-chip system. TUDCA did not significantly reduce infarct volume, improve neurological outcome, or attenuate BBB leakage in either in vivo model, nor did it preserve barrier permeability or ZO-1 expression in vitro under normoxic or hypoxic conditions. These findings indicate that, under the conditions tested, TUDCA does not influence the development of ischemic brain injury or features of BBB integrity, and that further optimization of dosing and administration strategies is required to fully evaluate its therapeutic potential in ischemic stroke.

Full Text

Full text is available at the source.

View Full Text ↗

Featured in

Gut-Brain AxisIssue #59

Schizophrenia gut bacteria transplanted into mice changed their behavior within weeks

↗

Evaluating TUDCA's Brain Protection in Stroke Using Multiple Animal and Cell Models

Abstract

Full Text

Featured in

You found one interesting study. We’ll send the next 7.

What Lands in Your Inbox Each Week:

Recent issues from the gut-brain axis brief