Irisin is a PGC-1α-dependent myokine that causes increased energy expenditure by driving the development of white adipose tissue into brown fat-like tissue. Exercise can improve irisin levels and lead to its release into the blood. In ischemic stroke, neurons are always sensitive to energy supply; after a series of pathophysiological processes, reactive oxygen species that are detrimental to cell survival via mitochondrial dysfunction are generated in large quantities. As a protein associated with exercise, irisin can alleviate brain injury in the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke. It is thought that irisin can upregulate the levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which protects nerve cells from injury during ischemic stroke. Furthermore, the release of irisin into the blood via exercise influences the mitochondrial dynamics crucial to maintaining the normal function of nerve cells. Consequently, we intended to summarize the known effects of irisin during ischemic stroke.
