Objective:To evaluate the role of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α)/Bcl-2/E1B 19-kDa interacting protein 3 (BNIP3) signaling pathway in dexmedetomidine-induced reduction of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R)-induced brain injury in mice.Methods:Sixty clean-grade healthy male C57BL/6 mice, aged 8-10 weeks, weighting 20-30 g, were divided into 5 groups ( n=12 each) using a random number table method: sham operation group (S group), myocardial I/R group (IR group), myocardial I/R plus dexmedetomidine group (IRD group), myocardial I/R plus HIF-1α inhibitor 2ME2 group (IR-M group), and myocardial I/R plus dexmedetomidine plus HIF-1α inhibitor 2ME2 group (IRD-M group). The myocardial I/R-induced brain injury was produced by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery for 30 min followed by 2 h of reperfusion in anesthetized mice.Dexmedetomidine 50 μg/kg was intraperitoneally injected at 5 min before ischemia in IRD group and IRD-M group.In IR-M and IRD-M groups, 2ME2 15 mg/kg was intraperitoneally injected at 5 min before ischemia.Blood samples were collected from the thoracic aorta at 2 h of reperfusion to measure the serum S-100β protein and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) concentrations.The animals were then sacrificed, brains were removed and hippocampi were obtained for determination of the apoptosis index (by TUNEL method) and expression of HIF-1α, BNIP3, Beclin-1, microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) and phosphorylated Tau protein (p-Tau) (by Western blot) and for microscopic examination of the pathological changes in hippocampal CA1 region.LC3Ⅱ/Ⅰ ratio was calculated. Results:Compared with group S, the concentrations of serum S-100β protein and NSE and apoptosis index of hippocampal neurons were significantly increased, the expression of HIF-1α, BNIP3, Beclin-1 and p-Tau was up-regulated, LC3Ⅱ/Ⅰ ratio was increased ( P<0.05), and the pathological changes in hippocampal CA1 region were aggravated in group IR.Compared with group IR, the concentrations of serum S-100β protein and NSE and apoptosis index of hippocampal neurons were significantly decreased, the expression of HIF-1α, BNIP3 and Beclin-1 was up-regulated, the expression of p-Tau was down-regulated, and LC3Ⅱ/Ⅰ ratio was increased ( P<0.05), and the pathological changes in hippocampal CA1 region were significantly attenuated in group IRD.Compared with group IRD, the concentrations of serum S-100β protein and NSE and apoptosis index of hippocampal neurons were significantly increased, the expression of p-Tau was up-regulated, the expression of HIF-1α, BNIP3 and Beclin-1 was down-regulated, LC3Ⅱ/Ⅰ ratio was decreased ( P<0.05), and the pathological changes in hippocampal CA1 region were aggravated in IR-M and IRD-M groups. Conclusions:HIF-1α/BNIP3 signaling pathway is involved in dexmedetomidine-induced reduction of myocardial I/R-induced brain injury in mice.