Ethoxyquin, a Lipid Peroxidation Inhibitor, Has Protective Effects against White Matter Lesions in a Mouse Model of Chronic Cerebral Hypoperfusion

White matter lesions induced by chronic cerebral hypoperfusion can cause vascular dementia; however, no appropriate treatments are currently available for these diseases. In this study, we investigated lipid peroxidation, which has recently been pointed out to be associated with cerebrovascular disease and vascular dementia, as a therapeutic target for chronic cerebral hypoperfusion. We used ethoxyquin, a lipid-soluble antioxidant, in a neuronal cell line and mouse model of the disease. The cytoprotective effect of ethoxyquin on glutamate-stimulated HT-22 cells, a mouse hippocampal cell line, was comparable to that of a ferroptosis inhibitor. In addition, the administration of ethoxyquin to bilateral common carotid artery stenosis model mice suppressed white matter lesions, blood–brain barrier disruption, and glial cell activation. Taken together, we propose that the inhibition of lipid peroxidation may be a useful therapeutic approach for chronic cerebrovascular disease and the resulting white matter lesions.