bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nitric Oxide of Neuronal Origin is Involved in Cerebral Blood Flow Increase during Seizures Induced by Kainate
Authors: Montécot Céline , Borredon Josiane , Seylaz Jacques , Pinard Elisabeth
Published: November 2003

In a previous study, we reported that the sustained increase in CBF concomitant with seizures induced by kainate is mainly due to the potent vasodilator nitric oxide (NO). However, the production site of NO acting at cerebral vessels was undetermined. In the present study, we investigated whether NO responsible for the cerebral vasodilation is of either neuronal or endothelial origin. We used a putative selective inhibitor of neuronal NO synthase, 7-nitro indazole (7-NI). CBF was measured continuously in parietal cortex by means of laser Doppler flowmetry in awake rats. Systemic variables and electroencephalograms were monitored. Kainate (10 mg/kg i.p.) was given to rats previously treated with saline (n = 8) or 7-NI (25 mg/kg i.p., n = 8) or L-arginine (300 mg/kg i.p., n = 8) followed 30 min later by 7-NI (25 mg/kg i.p.). Under basal conditions, 7-NI decreased CBF by 27% without modifying the mean arterial blood pressure. Under kainate, 7-NI prevented significant increases in CBF throughout the seizures despite sustained paroxysmal electrical activity. L-arginine, the substrate in the production of NO, prevented any decrease in CBF under 7-NI in basal conditions and partially, but nonsignificantly, reversed the cerebrovascular influence of 7-NI during seizures. In a separate group of rats (n = 6), inhibition of cortical NO synthase activity by 7-NI was assayed at 73%. The present results show that neurons are the source of NO responsible for the cerebrovascular response to seizure activity after kainate systemic injection.
A New Rat Model of Thrombotic Focal Cerebral Ischemia
Authors: Zhang Zhenggang , Zhang Rui Lan , Jiang Quan , Raman Sundara B. K. , Cantwell Lois , Chopp Michael
Published: November 2003

We developed a fibrin-rich thrombotic focal cerebral ischemic model with reproducible and predictable infarct volume in rats. In male Wistar rats (n = 77), a thrombus was induced at the origin of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) by injection of thrombin via an intraluminal catheter placed in the intracranial segment of the internal carotid artery (ICA). Thrombus induction and consequent ischemic cell damage were examined by histopathological analysis and neurological deficit scoring, and by measuring changes in cerebral blood flow (CBF) using laser–Doppler flowmetery (LDF), perfusion-weighted imaging (PWI), and by diffusion weighted imaging (DWI). Histopathology revealed that a fibrin-rich thrombus localized to the origin of the right MCA. Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in the right parietal cortex was reduced by 34–58% of preinjection levels after injection of thrombin in rats administered 30 U of thrombin (n = 10). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a reduction in CBF and a hyperintensity DWI encompassing the territory supplied by the right MCA. The infarct volume in rats administered 80 U of thrombin was 31.29 ± 12.9% of the contralateral hemisphere at 24 h (n = 13), and 34.7 ± 16.4% of the contralateral hemisphere at 168 h (n = 6). Rats administered 30 U of thrombin exhibited a hemispheric infarct volume of 34.0 ± 14.5% (n = 9) at 24 h and 29.7 ± 13.9% (n = 8) at 168 h. In addition, thrombotic rats (n = 3) treated with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) (10 mg/kg) 2 h after thrombosis showed that CBF rapidly returned towards preischemic values as measured by PWI. This model of thrombotic ischemia is relevant to thromboembolic stroke in humans and may be useful in documenting the safety and efficacy of thrombolytic intervention as well as for investigating therapies complementary to antithrombotic therapy.
Ischemia-Induced Changes in the Extracellular Space Diffusion Parameters, K+, and pH in the Developing Rat Cortex and Corpus Callosum
Authors: Voříšek Ivan , Syková Eva
Published: November 2003

Changes in the ability of substances to diffuse in the intersticial space of the brain are important factors in the pathophysiology of cerebrovascular diseases. Extracellular space (ECS) volume fraction α ( α = ECS volume/total tissue volume), tortuosity λ ( λ2 = free diffusion coefficient/apparent diffusion coefficient), and nonspecific uptake ( k′) − three diffusion parameters of brain tissue were studied in cortex and subcortical white matter (WM) of the developing rat during anoxia. Changes were compared with the rise in extracellular potassium concentration ([K+]e), extracellular pH (pHe) shifts, and anoxic depolarization (AD). Diffusion parameters were determined from extracellular concentration–time profiles of tetramethylammonium (TMA+) or tetraethylammonium (TEA+). TMA+, TEA+, K+, and pH changes were measured using ion-selective microelectrodes. In the cortex and WM of animals at 4–12 postnatal days (P4–P12), the volume fraction, α, is larger than that of animals at ≥P21. Anoxia evoked by cardiac arrest brought about a typical rise in [K+]e to ∼60–70 m M AD of 25–30 mV, decrease in α, increase in λ, and increase in k′. At P4–P6, α decreased from ∼0.43 to 0.05 in cortical layer V and from ∼0.45 to 0.5 in WM. Tortuosity, λ, increased in the cortex from 1.50 to 2.12 and in WM from ∼1.48 to 2.08. At P10–P12 and at P21–P23, when α in normoxic rats is lower than at P4–P6 by ∼25 and 50%, respectively, the final changes in values of α and A evoked by anoxia were not significantly different from those in P4–P6. However, the younger the animal, the longer the time course of the changes. On P4–P6 final changes in α, λ, and k′ in cortex and WM were reached after 37 ± 3 min and 54 ± 2 min; on P10–P12, after 24 ± 2 and 27 ± 3 min; and on P21–P23 at 15 ± 1 and 17 ± 3 min, respectively (mean ± SE, n = 6). The time course of the changes was longer in WM than in gray matter (GM), particularly during the first postnatal week, i.e., in the period during which WM is largely unmyelinated. Changes in diffusion parameters occurred in three phases. The first slow and second fast changes occurred simultaneously with the rise in [K+]e and AD. Peaks in [K+]e and AD were reached simultaneously; the younger the animal, the longer the time course of the changes. The third phase outlasted the rise in [K+]e and AD by 10–15 min and correlated with the acid shift in pHe. Linear regression analysis revealed a positive correlation between the normoxic size of the ECS volume and the time course of the changes. Slower changes in ECS volume fraction and tortuosity in nervous tissue during development can contribute to slower impairment of signal transmission, e.g., due to lower accumulation of ions and neuroactive substances released from cells and their better diffusion from the hypoxic area in uncompacted ECS.
Resting Load and Modulation of the Myofilament Ca2+ Sensitivity in Rabbit Cerebral Arteries
Authors: Chen Xi , Miyagi Yasushi , Nishimura Junji , Kobayashi Sei , Fukui Masashi , Kanaide Hideo
Published: November 2003

The effect of preload on myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity was examined using α-toxin permeabilization and fura-2 fluorometry in rabbit cerebral arteries. The [Ca2+]i-force curves shifted leftward at a high preload, with a decrease in median effective concentration of Ca2+ in the permeabilized artery. In the fura-2-loaded artery, the preload modulated the force without affecting [Ca2+]i levels during K+ depolarization, and a high preload moved the [Ca2+]i-force curve upward and to the left. It is thus concluded that the preload regulates the Ca2+ sensitivity of the myofilament and, therefore, may play a role in the regulation of cerebral arterial tonus and blood flow.
L-Arginine Infusion Increases Basal but not Activated Cerebral Blood Flow in Humans
Authors: Reutens David C. , McHugh Michael D. , Toussaint Paule-Joanne , Evans Alan C. , Gjedde Albert , Meyer Ernst , Stewart Duncan J.
Published: November 2003

Nitric oxide is a potent vasodilator. Infusion of its precursor, L-arginine, results in increased cerebral blood flow (CBF) in experimental animals. We examined the effects of L-arginine infusion on CBF in humans using positron emission tomography and the quantitative H215O method. Six subjects received 500 ml of 0.9% NaCl solution, and six subjects received an infusion of L-arginine (16.7 mg/kg/min; 500 mg/kg). Before and after the i.v. infusion, paired CBF measurements were performed at baseline and with vibrotactile stimulation of the right hand. In scans performed without vibrotactile stimulation, mean whole-brain CBF increased from 34.9 ± 3.7 ml 100 g–1 min–1 to 38.2 ± 4.4 ml 100 g–1 min–1 (9.5%; p < 0.005) after L-arginine infusion. The temporal pattern of CBF changes differed from that of plasma growth hormone and insulin levels and of arterial pH. In contrast, in the saline group, mean whole-brain CBF did not change significantly (35.8 ± 5.9 ml 100 g–1 min–1 to 35.9 ± 6.4 ml 100 g–1 min–1; 0.3%). Vibrotactile stimulation produced significant focal increases in CBF, which were unaffected by L-arginine infusion. L-arginine infusion was associated with an increase in plasma L-citrulline, a byproduct of nitric oxide synthesis.
The Influence of Age on pH Regulation in Hippocampal Slices Before, During, and after Anoxia
Authors: Roberts Eugene L. , Chih Ching-Ping
Published: November 2003

Changes in intracellular and extracellular pH may influence the vulnerability of brain tissue to anoxic or ischemic damage. In the present study, we investigated whether the increased vulnerability of aged brain tissue to anoxic damage is associated with age-related alterations in pH regulation. We obtained evidence for altered pH regulation by measuring concurrent changes in intracellular and extracellular pH before, during, and after anoxia in hippocampal slices from young adult (6–8 months old) and aged (24–27 months old) rats. We found indications of impaired pH regulation in aged hippocampal slices (a) before anoxia, as seen in a lower resting intracellular pH, (b) during anoxia, as seen in a slower decline in extracellular pH, and (c) during recovery after anoxia, as seen in a slower rate of recovery of intracellular pH. Age-related changes in pH regulation may contribute to the faster onset of anoxic depolarization in aged brain tissue during anoxia.
Autoradiographic Evidence for Flow-Metabolism Uncoupling During Stimulation of the Nucleus Basalis of Meynert in the Conscious Rat
Authors: Vaucher Elvire , Borredon Josiane , Bonvento Gilles , Seylaz Jacques , Lacombe Pierre
Published: November 2003

We earlier reported that electrical stimulation of the rat nucleus basalis of Meynert (NBM) induces large cerebral blood flow increases, particularly in frontal cortical areas but also in some subcortical regions. The present study was designed to address the issue of blood flow control exerted by NBM projections. To this aim, we have determined whether these flow increases were associated with proportionate changes in metabolic activity as evaluated by cerebral glucose utilization (CGU) strictly under the same experimental conditions in the conscious rat. An electrode was chronically implanted in a reactive site of the NBM as determined by laser-Doppler flowmetry (LDF) of the cortical circulation. One to two weeks later, while the cortical blood flow was monitored by LDF, we measured CGU using the [14C]2-deoxyglucose autoradiographic technique during unilateral electrical stimulation of the NBM, and analyzed the local flow-metabolism relationship. The large increases in cortical blood flow induced by NBM stimulation, exceeding 300% in various frontal areas, were associated with at most 24% increases in CGU (as compared with the control group) in one frontal area. By contrast, strong increases in CGU exceeding 150% were observed in subcortical regions ipsilateral to the stimulation, especially in extrapyramidal structures, associated with proportionate CBF changes. Thus, none of the blood flow changes observed in the cortex can be ascribed to an increased metabolic activity, whereas CBF and CGU were coupled in many subcortical areas. This result indicates that different mechanisms, which do not necessarily involve any metabolic factor, contribute to the regulation of the cerebral circulation at the cortical and subcortical level. Because the distribution of the uncoupling is coincident with that of cholinergic NBM projections directly reaching cortical microvessels, these data strongly support the hypothesis that NBM neurons are capable of exerting a neurogenic control of the cortical microcirculation.
Measurement of Cerebral Blood Flow in Dogs with Near Infrared Spectroscopy in the Reflectance Mode Is Invalid
Authors: Newton C. R. J. C. , Wilson D. A. , Gunnoe E. , Wagner B. , Cope M. , Traystman R. J.
Published: November 2003

Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is used to measure CBF (CBFNIRS) in humans, based on Fick's principle, using oxygen as an intravascular tracer. We compared CBFNIRS with CBF measured by microspheres (CBFμ) and the venous outflow technique (CBFv) in 15 dogs, altering CBF with ventilation-induced changes in PaCO2. Five hundred forty-nine CBFNIRS measurements were attempted using an integration time of 2.5 s on the saturation signal from the tongue. One hundred ninety-eight (36.1%) of the measurements fulfilled predefined criteria. The coefficient of variation (CV) for six measurements under stable conditions was 29.1%. The CBFNIRS measurements correlated best with microsphere-measured blood flows in the cortical gray matter (median 0.43, range 0.16–0.93); the contributions of the skull and dura were variable. The CBFv varied by a median of 12% (range 0–67%) during the CBFNIRS measurements. The percentage of acceptable CBFNIRS measurements, the CV, and the correlation coefficients of the CBFNIRS were improved by using saturation signal directly from the artery and varying the integration time with an estimate of the minimum transit time. The current method of measuring CBFNIRS in the reflectance mode is inaccurate when compared with other accepted techniques.
Reperfusion Injury: Demonstration of Brain Damage Produced by Reperfusion after Transient Focal Ischemia in Rats
Authors: Aronowski Jaroslaw , Strong Roger , Grotta James C.
Published: November 2003

During reperfusion after ischemia, deleterious biochemical processes can be triggered that may antagonize the beneficial effects of reperfusion. Research into the understanding and treatment of reperfusion injury (RI) is an important objective in the new era of reperfusion therapy for stroke. To investigate RI, permanent and reversible unilateral middle cerebral artery/common carotid artery (MCA/CCA) occlusion (monitored by laser Doppler) of variable duration in Long-Evans (LE) and spontaneously hypertensive (SH) rats and unilateral MCA and bilateral CCA occlusion in selected LE rats was induced. In LE rats, infarct volume after 24 hours of permanent unilateral MCA/CCA occlusion was 31.1 ± 34.6 mm3 and was only 28% of the infarct volume after 120 to 300 minutes of reversible occlusion plus 24 hours of reperfusion, indicating that 72% of the damage of ischemia/reperfusion is produced by RI. When reversible ischemia was prolonged to 480 and 1080 minutes, infarct volume was 39.6 mm3 and 16.6 mm3, respectively, being indistinguishable from the damage produced by permanent ischemia and significantly smaller than damage after 120 to 300 minutes of ischemia. Reperfusion injury was not seen in SH rats or with bilateral CCA occlusion in LE rats, in which perfusion is reduced more profoundly. Reperfusion injury was ameliorated by the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide or spin-trap agent N-tert-butyl-alpha-phenylnitrone pretreatment.
A Mouse Model of Embolic Focal Cerebral Ischemia
Authors: Zhang Zhenggang , Chopp Michael , Zhang Rui Lan , Goussev Anton
Published: November 2003

We developed a mouse model of embolic focal cerebral ischemia, in which a fibrin-rich clot was placed at the origin of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) in C57BL/6J mice (n = 31) and B6C3 mice (n = 10). An additional three non-embolized C57BL/6J mice were used as a control. Embolus induction, cerebral vascular perfusion deficit, and consequent ischemic cell damage were confirmed by histopathology, immunohistochemistry, laser confocal microscopy, and regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) measurements. Reduction in rCBF and cerebral infarct were not detected in the control animals. An embolus was found in all C57BL/6J and B6C3 mice at 24 hours after injection of a clot. Regional CBF in the ipsilateral parietal cortex decreased to 23% ( P < 0.05) and 17% ( P < 0.05) of preembolization levels immediately and persisted for at least 1 hour in C57BL/6J mice (n = 6) and in B6C3 mice (n = 3), respectively. A significant decrease of rCBF was accompanied by a corresponding reduction of plasma perfusion in the ipsilateral MCA territory. Neurons exhibited marked reduction in microtubule-associated protein-2 immunostaining coincident with the area of perfusion deficit. The percent infarct volume was 30.3% ± 13.4% for C57BL/6J mice (n = 17), and 38.3% ± 15.3% for B6C3 mice (n = 7) at 24 hours after embolization. This model of embolic ischemia is relevant to thromboembolic stroke in humans and may be useful to investigate embolic cerebral ischemia in the genetically altered mouse and for evaluation of antiembolic therapies.
Local Uncoupling of the Cerebrovascular and Metabolic Responses to Somatosensory Stimulation after Neuronal Nitric Oxide Synthase Inhibition
Authors: Cholet Nathalie , Seylaz Jacques , Lacombe Pierre , Bonvento Gilles
Published: November 2003

It has recently been shown, using either genetically engineered mutant mice (nitric oxide synthase [NOS] knockout) or specific pharmacological tools, that type I NOS (neuronal isoform of NOS, [nNOS]) participates in coupling cerebral blood flow to functional activation. However, it has not been clearly established whether the associated metabolic response was preserved under nNOS inhibition and whether this action was exerted homogeneously within the brain. To address these issues, we analyzed the combined circulatory and metabolic consequences of inhibiting the nNOS both at rest and during functional activation in the rat anesthetized with α-chloralose. Cerebral blood flow and cerebral glucose use (CGU) were measured autoradiographically using [14C]iodoantipyrine and [14C]2-deoxyglucose during trigeminal activation induced by unilateral whiskers stimulation in vehicle- and 7-nitroindazole-treated rats. Our data show that inhibition of nNOS globally decreased CBF without altering CGU, indicating that NO-releasing neurons play a significant role in maintaining a resting cerebrovascular tone in the whole brain. During whisker stimulation, nNOS inhibition totally abolished the cerebrovascular response only in the second order relay stations (thalamus and somatosensory cortex) of the trigeminal relay without altering the metabolic response. These findings provide evidence that the involvement of neurally-derived NO in coupling flow to somatosensory activation is region-dependent, and that under nNOS inhibition, CBF and CGU may vary independently during neuronal activation.
Trafficking of Amino Acids between Neurons and Glia In Vivo. Effects of Inhibition of Glial Metabolism by Fluoroacetate
Authors: Hassel Bjørnar , Bachelard Herman , Jones Paula , Fonnum Frode , Sonnewald Ursula
Published: November 2003

Glial-neuronal interchange of amino acids was studied by 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of brain extracts from fluoroacetate-treated mice that received [1,2-13C]acetate and [1-13C]glucose simultaneously. [13C]Acetate was found to be a specific marker for glial metabolism even with the large doses necessary for nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Fluoroacetate, 100 mg/kg, blocked the glial, but not the neuronal tricarboxylic acid cycles as seen from the 13C labeling of glutamine, glutamate, and γ-aminobutyric acid. Glutamine, but not citrate, was the only glial metabolite that could account for the transfer of 13C from glia to neurons. Massive glial uptake of transmitter glutamate was indicated by the labeling of glutamine from [1-13C]glucose in fluoroacetate-treated mice. The C-3/C-4 enrichment ratio, which indicates the degree of cycling of label, was higher in glutamine than in glutamate in the presence of fluoroacetate, suggesting that transmitter glutamate (which was converted to glutamine after release) is associated with a tricarboxylic acid cycle that turns more rapidly than the overall cerebral tricarboxylic acid cycle.
Hyperglycemia and Hypercapnia Suppress BDNF Gene Expression in Vulnerable Regions after Transient Forebrain Ischemia in the Rat
Authors: Uchino H. , Lindvall O. , Siesjö B. K. , Kokaia Z.
Published: November 2003

Preischemic hyperglycemia or superimposed hypercapnia exaggerates brain damage caused by transient forebrain ischemia. Because high regional levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) protein correlate with resistance to ischemic damage, we studied the expression of BDNF mRNA using in situ hybridization in rats subjected to 10 minutes of forebrain ischemia under normoglycemic, hyperglycemic, or hypercapnic conditions. Compared with normoglycemic animals, the increase of BDNF mRNA in dentate granule cells was attenuated and that in CA3 pyramidal neurons completely prevented in hyperglycemic rats. No ischemia-induced increases of BDNF mRNA levels in the hippocampal formation were detected in hypercapnic animals. Hyperglycemic and hypercapnic rats showed transiently decreased expression of BDNF mRNA levels in the cingulate cortex, which was not observed in normoglycemic animals. The results suggest that suppression of the BDNF gene might contribute to the increased vulnerability of the CA3 region and cingulate cortex in hyperglycemic and hypercapnic animals.
Effects of Large Neutral Amino Acid Concentrations on 6-[F-18]Fluoro-L-DOPA Kinetics
Authors: Stout David B. , Huang Sung-Cheng , Melega William P. , Raleigh Michael J. , Phelps Michael E. , Barrio Jorge R.
Published: November 2003

6-[F-18]Fluoro-L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (FDOPA) has been used to measure the central dopaminergic function in many species, including humans and monkeys. For transport across the blood brain barrier (BBB), FDOPA competes with plasma large neutral amino acids (LNAA). In this article we evaluate the effects of normal physiological LNAA concentration variation on BBB transport (K1) and the FDOPA uptake measurement, Ki. We also investigate a method for reducing the dependency of FDOPA quantitation on LNAA. Adult vervet monkeys ( Cercopithecus aethiops sabaeus, n = 19) were fasted overnight before FDOPA positron emission tomography scans. Blood samples were drawn for LNAA determination, metabolite analysis, and compartmental modeling. The estimated K1 and Ki were both negatively correlated with LNAA concentrations (r2 = 0.51 and 0.62, respectively). Using an adjustment to K1 and Ki based on these correlations, the LNAA dependency was reduced (SD of the data for K1 was reduced by 33%, for Ki by 40%). Experiments with amino acid loading on an additional six animals indicate that BBB transport can be described using Michaelis-Menten kinetics. Results show a clear dependence of FDOPA uptake on plasma LNAA concentrations, which can be removed to increase the precision of FDOPA quantitation.
Increased Functional Vascular Response in the Region of a Glioma
Authors: Ojemann Jeffrey G. , Neil John M. , MacLeod Ann-Mary , Silbergeld Daniel L. , Dacey Ralph G. , Petersen Steven E. , Raichle Marcus E.
Published: November 2003

Functional imaging of a language task using positron emission tomography was performed as part of the preoperative assessment of a patient with a left supplementary motor area (SMA) tumor. Positron emission tomography scans were obtained during language tasks (verb generation and word reading of visually presented nouns) that normally lead to increased blood flow in the SMA relative to a control condition (visual fixation). In the patient, the normal SMA response was an order of magnitude larger in the region of the tumor. Other regions, such as left inferior frontal cortex and right cerebellum, showed equivalent activation in the patient and normal subjects. Histopathologic study revealed an anaplastic astrocytoma. Thus, this exaggerated vascular response to local neuronal activation occurred in the setting of a proliferation of glial cells. This is consistent with models of coupling of regional CBF and neuronal activity that implicate glia as the mediatol between neurons and vasculature. The concept that tumoral disruption of normal vascular responses could, in some cases, potentially enhance rather than dampen the response is proposed.
Hibernation in Ground Squirrels Induces State and Species-Specific Tolerance to Hypoxia and Aglycemia: An In Vitro Study in Hippocampal Slices
Authors: Frerichs Kai U. , Hallenbec John M.
Published: November 2003

Hibernation in mammals is associated with a regulated depression of global cellular functions accompanied by reductions of cerebral blood flow that would render the brain profoundly ischemic under normal conditions. Homeostatic control is preserved, however, and brain damage does not occur. We investigated the possibility that hibernation not only confers tolerance to profound hypothermia, but also to hypoxia and aglycemia independent of temperature. Hippocampal slices from ground squirrels Citellus tridecemlineatus in both the active and hibernating states and from rats were subjected to in vitro hypoxia and aglycemia at incubation temperatures of 36°C, 20°C, and 7°C and evaluated histologically. A binary bioassay was used to determine the duration of hypoxia/aglycemia tolerated in each group. At all temperatures, slices from hibernating animals were most tolerant compared with both active squirrels and rats. Slices from active ground squirrels were more tolerant than rat at 20°C and 7°C but not at 36°C indicating a species-specific difference that becomes manifest at lower temperatures. These results indicate that hibernation is associated not only with tolerance to profound hypothermia but also to deprivation of oxygen and glucose. Because tolerance was already demonstrable at the shortest duration of hibernation studied, rapid therapeutic induction of a similar state may be possible. Therefore, identification of the regulatory mechanisms underlying this tolerance may lead to novel neuroprotective strategies.
Increased Formation of Reactive Oxygen Species after Permanent and Reversible Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion in the Rat
Authors: Peters Oliver , Back Tobias , Lindauer Ute , Busch Christina , Megow Dirk , Dreier Jens , Dirnagl Ulrich
Published: November 2003

In barbiturate-anesthetized rats, we induced 3 hours of permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) by an intraluminal thread (n = 6), or 1 hour MCAO followed by 2 hours of reperfusion (n = 6). Through a closed cranial window over the parietal cortex, the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was measured in the infarct border using online in vivo chemiluminescence (CL) while monitoring the appearance of peri-infarct depolarizations (PID). The borderzone localization of the ROS and direct current (DC) potential measurements was confirmed in additional experiments using laser-Doppler scanning, mapping regional CBF changes through the cranial window after permanent (n = 5) or reversible (n = 5) MCAO. CL measurements revealed a short period (10 to 30 minutes) of reduced ROS formation after vessel occlusion, followed by a significant increase (to 162 ± 51%; baseline = 100%; P < .05) from 100 minutes of permanent MCAO onward. Reperfusion after a 1-hour period of MCAO led to a burst-like pattern of ROS production (peak: 489 ± 330%; P < .05). When the experiments were terminated 3 hours after induction of MCAO, CL was still significantly increased above baseline after permanent and reversible MCAO (to 190 ± 67% and 211 ± 64%, respectively; P < .05). Simultaneous DC potential recordings detected 6.4 ± 2.7 PID in the first, 4.7 ± 2.3 in the second, and 2.8 ± 2.0 in the third hour after permanent MCAO. In animals with reversible MCAO, PID were abolished from 15-minutes recirculation onward. There was no temporal relationship between ROS production and peri-infarct DC potential shifts. In conclusion, using a high temporal resolution ROS detection technique (CL), we found that permanent MCAO (after an initial decrease) was accompanied by a steady increase of ROS production during the 3-hour observation period, while reperfusion after 1 hour of MCAO produced a burst in ROS formation. Both patterns of ROS production were not related to the occurrence of PID.
Redox Control of Neuronal Damage during Brain Ischemia after Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion in the Rat: Immunohistochemical and Hybridization Studies of Thioredoxin
Authors: Takagi Yasushi , Tokime Tomoo , Nozaki Kazuhiko , Gon Yasuhiro , Kikuchi Haruhiko , Yodoi Junji
Published: November 2003

Thioredoxin (TRX) is a small, multifunctional protein with a redox-active site and multiple biological functions that include reducing activity for reactive oxygen intermediates. We assayed TRX and TRX mRNA by immunohistochemical methods and hybridization experiments in the rat brain after middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion. During ischemia, the immunoreactivity for TRX decreased; it disappeared after MCA occlusion in the ischemic regions. It rapidly decreased and nearly disappeared at 4 and 16 hours after MCA occlusion in the lateral striatum and frontoparietal cortex, respectively. On the other hand, in the perifocal ischemic region, the penumbra, TRX immunoreactivity began to increase 4 hours after MCA occlusion and continued to increase until 24 hours after occlusion. In hybridization experiments, TRX mRNA decreased and nearly disappeared 4 hours after MCA occlusion in the lateral striatum. In the frontoparietal cortex, it decreased until 24 hours after MCA occlusion. In the perifocal ischemic region, TRX mRNA began to increase 4 hours after MCA occlusion and continued to increase until 24 hours. Northern blot analysis showed that total TRX mRNA in the operated hemispheres was induced from 8 hours and increased until 24 hours after the surgical procedures. We previously reported that recombinant TRX promotes the in vitro survival of primary cultured neurons. We now suggest that TRX in the penumbra has neuroprotective functions and that decreased levels of TRX in the ischemic core modify neuronal damage during focal brain ischemia.
Mitochondrial Function and Energy Metabolism after Hypoxia—Ischemia in the Immature Rat Brain: Involvement of NMDA-Receptors
Authors: Gilland Eric , Puka-Sundvall Malgorzata , Hillered Lars , Hagberg Henrik
Published: November 2003

Treatment after hypoxia—ischemia (HI) in immature rats with the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonist dizocilpine maleate (MK-801) reduces areas with high glucose utilization and reduces brain damage. The object was to study the metabolic effects of MK-801 treatment after HI. Seven-day-old rats were randomized to the following groups: non-HI, HI, or HI plus MK-801 (0.5 mg/kg immediately after HI). In the parietal cortex, the mitochondrial respiration was measured in homogenates 1 to 4 hours, and the energy metabolites at 3 and 8 hours after HI. The energy use was calculated from changes in energy metabolites after decapitation at 3 hours after HI. State 3 respiration was reduced by 46%, 32%, and 25% after HI compared with non-HI with pyruvate plus malate, glutamate plus malate, or glutamate plus succinate as substrates, respectively. Uncoupler-stimulated but not state 4 respiration was similarly reduced. The MK-801 augmented pyruvate plus malate—supported state 3 respiration after HI by 42%. The energy utilization was not affected by HI but was reduced by MK-801 treatment in the ipsilateral cortex from 4.6 ± 2.3 to 2.6 ± 1.8 μmol ~P/min/g. The levels of ATP and phosphocreatine did not differ between the HI and HI plus MK-801 groups at 3 hours, but were lower in the HI than in the HI plus MK-801 group at 8 hours after HI. In conclusion, treatment with MK-801 reduced energy utilization and improved mitochondrial function and energy status after HI, suggesting a linkage between NMDAR activation and impaired energy metabolism during reperfusion.
Epidermal Growth Factor Protects Neuronal Cells In Vivo and In Vitro against Transient Forebrain Ischemia- and Free Radical-Induced Injuries
Authors: Peng Hui , Wen Tong-Chun , Tanaka Junya , Maeda Nobuji , Matsuda Seiji , Desaki Junzo , Sudo Satoko , Zhang Bo , Sakanaka Masahiro
Published: November 2003

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) has been considered to be a candidate for neurotrophic factors on the basis of the results of several in vitro studies. However, the in vivo effect of EGF on ischemic neurons as well as its mechanism of action have not been fully understood. In the present in vivo study using a gerbil ischemia model, we examined the effects of EGF on ischemia-induced learning disability and hippocampal CA1 neuron damage. Cerebroventricular infusion of EGF (24 or 120 ng/d) for 7 days to gerbils starting 2 hours before or immediately after transient forebrain ischemia caused a significant prolongation of response latency time in a passive avoidance task in comparison with the response latency of vehicle-treated ischemic animals. Subsequent histologic examinations showed that EGF effectively prevented delayed neuronal death of CA1 neurons in the stratum pyramidale and preserved synapses intact within the strata moleculare, radiatum, and oriens of the hippocampal CA1 region. In situ detection of DNA fragmentation (TUNEL staining) revealed that ischemic animals infused with EGF contained fewer TUNEL-positive neurons in the hippocampal CA1 field than those infused with vehicle alone at the seventh day after ischemia. In primary hippocampal cultures, EGF (0.048 to 6.0 ng/mL) extended the survival of cultured neurons, facilitated neurite outgrowth, and prevented neuronal damage caused by the hydroxyl radical-producing agent FeSO4 and by the peroxynitrite-producing agent 3-morpholinosydnonimine in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, EGF significantly attenuated FeSO4-induced lipid peroxidation of cultured neurons. These findings suggest that EGF has a neuroprotective effect on ischemic hippocampal neurons in vivo possibly through inhibition of free radical neurotoxicity and lipid peroxidation.
Apolipoprotein E Isoform-Specific Differences in Outcome from Focal Ischemia in Transgenic Mice
Authors: Sheng Huaxin , Laskowitz Daniel T. , Bennett Ellen , Schmechel Donald E. , Bart Robert D. , Saunders Ann M. , Pearlstein Robert D. , Roses Allen D. , Warner David S.
Published: November 2003

Apolipoprotein E (apoE), a 34-kD glycosylated lipid-binding protein, is expressed as three common isoforms in humans (E2, E3, or E4). Clinical evidence suggests that the apoE genotype (APOE) may be a risk factor for poor outcome after acute central nervous system injury. This was examined further in transgenic mice constructed with the human APOE3 or APOE4 gene under the control of human promoter and tissue expression elements. Presence of human apoE3 and apoE4 proteins in brains of human APOE homozygous transgenic mice was confirmed by Western blotting. APOE3 (n = 12) and APOE4 (n = 10) mice underwent 60 minutes of middle cerebral artery occlusion. After 24-hour recovery, infarct size was measured. Infarct volumes (mean ± standard deviation) were smaller in the APOE3 group (cortex: APOE3 = 18 ± 4 mm3; APOE4 = 30 ± 11 mm3, P = 0.04; subcortex: APOE3 = 12 ± 4 mm3; APOE4 = 18 ± 4 mm3, P = 0.003). Hemiparesis was less severe in APOE3 mice ( P = 0.02). These data indicate that human isoform-specific effects of apoE are relevant to acute pathomechanisms of focal ischemic brain damage when examined in the mouse. APOE transgenic mice may provide an appropriate model to examine the mechanistic basis for the differential effects of human apoE isoforms in acute central nervous system injury.
Hypoxia—Ischemia Induces a Rapid Elevation of Ubiquitin Conjugate Levels and Ubiquitin Immunoreactivity in the Immature Rat Brain
Authors: Vannucci Susan J. , Mummery Rosemary , Hawkes Richard B. , Rider Christopher C. , Beesley Philip W.
Published: November 2003

Postnatal rats at 7 and 21 days of age were subjected to unilateral hypoxia—ischemia (H/I) by right carotid artery ligation followed by 1.5 to 2 hours of hypoxia (8% oxygen). Brains were frozen at specific intervals of recovery from 0 to 24 hours. Western blots of samples of right and left forebrain were immunodeveloped with a monoclonal antibody specific for ubiquitin, RHUb 1. An elevation of ubiquitin conjugate levels in the right compared with the left forebrain of 7-day-old animals was detectable immediately following H/I and increased by close to 60% of control level within 1 hour of recovery. The conjugate immunoreactivity remained at this level for 6 hours but had declined to control levels by 24 hours of recovery. No such increase was observed in response to hypoxia alone. Similar changes were observed in samples from the 21-day-old rat brain. However, the elevation of ubiquitin conjugate levels was of slower onset and persisted longer than observed for the 7-day-old animals. Immunocytochemical studies of brain fixed by immersion in formaldehyde/acetone/methanol showed that ubiquitin-like immunoreactivity was increased in the right, but not left, cerebral cortex and hippocampus of animals subjected to H/I. The data suggest that elevated ubiquitination may represent a neuroprotective response to H/I.
[3H]DOPA Formed from [3H]Tyrosine in Living Rat Brain Is Not Committed to Dopamine Synthesis
Authors: Cumming Paul , Ase Ariel , Kuwabara Hiroto , Gjedde Albert
Published: November 2003

Tyrosine hydroxylase of catecholamine neurons catalyzes the synthesis of 3,4-dihydroxphenylalanine (DOPA), which is subsequently metabolized to dopamine by DOPA decarboxylase (DDC). However, DOPA is not committed to decarboxylation in vivo because export of DOPA from brain and metabolism of DOPA other than decarboxylation are possible. To estimate the relative magnitudes of the several fates of DOPA, the kinetics of the uptake and metabolism of l-[3H]tyrosine ([3H]Tyr, intravenous infusion) was measured in brain of rats pretreated with NSD 1015, an inhibitor of DDC. Some rats were pretreated with haloperidol before the blockade of DDC. The [3H]Tyr was incorporated into brain protein at a rate constant of 0.03 min−1. The relative tyrosine hydroxylase activity in striatum was 0.005 min−1 at 30 minutes after NSD 1015, 0.011 min−1 3 hours later, and 0.020 min−1 after haloperidol treatment. The rate constant for the clearance of DOPA from brain (0.06 min−1) and earlier estimates of the rate constant of DDC activity in striatum (0.26 min−1) together predict that 80% of DOPA formed in normal rat striatum normally is available for dopamine synthesis. It follows that modulation of DDC activity can influence the rate of DA synthesis by affecting the relative magnitude of the several fates of DOPA in living brain.
Oligodendrocytes and Microglia Are Selectively Vulnerable to Combined Hypoxia and Hypoglycemia Injury in Vitro
Authors: Lyons Susan A. , Kettenmann Helmut
Published: November 2003

The major classes of glial cells, namely astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and microglial cells were compared in parallel for their susceptibility to damage after combined hypoxia and hypoglycemia or hypoxia alone. The three glial cell types were isolated from neonatal rat brains, separated, and incubated in N2/CO2-gassed buffer-containing glucose or glucose substitutes, 2-deoxyglucose or mannitol (both nonmetabolizable sugars). The damage to the cells after 6 hours' exposure was determined at 0, 1, 3, 7 days based on release of lactate dehydrogenase and counting of ethidium bromide–stained dead cells, double-stained with cell-type specific markers. When 2-deoxyglucose replaced glucose during 6 hours of hypoxia, both oligodendrocytes and microglia rarely survived (18% and 12%, respectively). Astroglia initially increased the release of lactate dehydrogenase but maintained 98% to 99% viability. When mannitol, a radical scavenger and osmolarity stabilizer, replaced glucose during 6 hours of hypoxia, oligodendrocytes rarely survived (10%), astroglia survival remained at 99%, but microglia survival increased to 50%. After exposure to 6 and 42 hours, respectively, of hypoxic conditions alone, oligodendrocytes exhibited 10% survival whereas microglia and astroglia were only temporarily stressed and subsequently survived. In conclusion, oligodendrocytes, then microglia, are the most vulnerable glial cell types in response to hypoxia or hypoglycemia conditions, whereas astrocytes from the same preparations recover.
Role of Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase in Hypoxia-Induced Pial Artery Dilation
Authors: Wilderman Michael J. , Armstead William M.
Published: November 2003

Nitric oxide (NO) contributes to hypoxia-induced pial artery dilation, at least in part, through the formation of cGMP and the subsequent release of methionine enkephalin and leucine enkephalin in the newborn pig. In separate studies, these opioids also were observed to elicit NO-dependent pial artery dilation, whereas light/dye endothelial injury reduced hypoxic pial dilation. The current study was designed to investigate the role of the endothelial isoform of NO synthase in hypoxic pial dilation, associated opioid release, and opioid dilation in piglets equipped with a closed cranial window. N-iminoethyl-l-ornithine (l-NIO) (10−6 mol/L), an antagonist that may have greater endothelial NO synthase inhibitory selectivity, had no effect on dilation elicited by hypoxia (Po2 ≈ 35 mm Hg) (24 ± 2 versus 24 ± 2% in the absence and presence of l-NIO, respectively, n = 8). Hypoxic dilation was accompanied by increased CSF cGMP, which also was unchanged in the presence of l-NIO (394 ± 19 and 776 ± 63 versus 323 ± 13 and 739 ± 25 fmol/mL for control and hypoxia in the absence and presence of l-NIO, respectively, n = 6). Additionally, hypoxic pial dilation was associated with increased CSF methionine enkephalin, which also was unchanged in the presence of l-NIO (992 ± 73 and 2469 ± 197 versus 984 ± 18 and 2275 ± 185 pg/mL, respectively, n = 6). In contrast, methionine enkephalin–induced dilation was blocked by l-NIO (6 ± 1, 10 ± 1, and 16 ± 1 versus 1 ± 1, 1 ± 1, and 2 ± 1% for 10−10, 10−8, 10−6 mol/L methionine enkephalin, respectively, before and after l-NIO, n = 8). Substance P–induced pial dilation was blunted by l-NIO, whereas responses to sodium nitroprusside and N-methyl-d-aspartate were unchanged. These data indicate that endothelial NO synthase contributes to opioid-induced pial artery dilation but not hypoxia-induced dilation. Additionally, these data suggest that neuronally derived NO contributes to hypoxic pial dilation.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Acute Stroke
Authors: Baird Alison E. , Warach Steven
Published: November 2003

In the investigation of ischemic stroke, conventional structural magnetic resonance (MR) techniques (e.g., T1-weighted imaging, T2-weighted imaging, and proton density-weighted imaging) are valuable for the assessment of infarct extent and location beyond the first 12 to 24 hours after onset, and can be combined with MR angiography to noninvasively assess the intracranial and extracranial vasculature. However, during the critical first 6 to 12 hours, the probable period of greatest therapeutic opportunity, these methods do not adequately assess the extent and severity of ischemia. Recent developments in functional MR imaging are showing great promise for the detection of developing focal cerebral ischemic lesions within the first hours. These include (1) diffusion-weighted imaging, which provides physiologic information about the self-diffusion of water, thereby detecting one of the first elements in the pathophysiologic cascade leading to ischemic injury; and (2) perfusion imaging. The detection of acute intraparenchymal hemorrhagic stroke by susceptibility weighted MR has also been reported. In combination with MR angiography, these methods may allow the detection of the site, extent, mechanism, and tissue viability of acute stroke lesions in one imaging study. Imaging of cerebral metabolites with MR spectroscopy along with diffusion-weighted imaging and perfusion imaging may also provide new insights into ischemic stroke pathophysiology. In light of these advances in structural and functional MR, their potential uses in the study of the cerebral ischemic pathophysiology and in clinical practice are described, along with their advantages and limitations.
Involvement of Thromboxane A2 in the Mediation of the Contractile Effect Induced by Inhibition of Nitric Oxide Synthesis in Isolated Rat Middle Cerebral Arteries
Authors: Benyó Zoltán , Görlach Christoph , Wahl Michael
Published: November 2003

Inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) synthesis induces vasoconstriction and reduction of the blood flow in the brain, indicating that basal release of NO provides a resting vasore-laxant tone in the cerebral circulation. In the present study, the contractile effect of the NO synthase blocker NG-nitro-L-arginine (100 μmol/L) in isolated rat middle cerebral arteries was attenuated markedly in the presence of the cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin (5 μmol/L), the thromboxane A2 synthase inhibitor ridogrel (10 μmol/L), or the thromboxane receptor antagonist ICI 192605 (100 μmol/L). These results indicate that removal of the endogenous NO stimulates the release of thromboxane A2 in cerebral vessels and basal NO production regulates the resting cerebrovascular tone, at least in part, by suppressing thromboxane A2.
Transient Global Ischemia Triggers Expression of the DNA Damage-Inducible Gene GADD45 in the Rat Brain
Authors: Chen Jun , Uchimura Koichi , Stetler R. Anne , Zhu Raymond L. , Nakayama Masaki , Jin Kunlin , Graham Steven H. , Simon Roger P.
Published: November 2003

Using in situ hybridization, Northern blot analysis, Western blot analysis, and immunocytochemistry, mRNA and protein expression of the novel DNA damage-inducible gene GADD45 was examined in the rat brain at 0.5, 2, 4, 8, 16, 24, 48, and 72 hours after 15 minutes of transient global ischemia. Transient ischemia produced by the four-vessel occlusion method resulted in DNA double-strand breaks and delayed neuronal cell death in vulnerable neurons of the hippocampal CA1 sector, the hilus, dorsal caudate-putamen, and thalamus, as shown by in situ DNA nick end-labeling and histologic staining. GADD45 mRNA was transiently increased in less-vulnerable regions such as the parietal cortex (up to 8 hours after ischemia) and dentate granule cells (up to 24 hours after ischemia) but was persistently increased in vulnerable neurons such as CA1 pyramidal neurons (up to 48 hours). GADD45 immunoreactivity was increased in both vulnerable and less-vulnerable regions at earlier reperfusion periods (4 to 16 hours), but thereafter immunoreactivity was decreased below control levels in most vulnerable regions before delayed cell death and DNA double-strand breaks. At 72 hours after transient ischemia, a moderate increase in GADD45 immunoreactivity was still detectable in some CA3 neurons and in a few surviving neurons in the CA1 region. Double staining performed at 16 to 72 hours after ischemia revealed that GADD45 immunoreactivity was persistently increased in neurons that did not develop DNA damage. Because GADD45 protein may participate in the DNA excision repair process and because it has been shown that this protein is also overexpressed in neurons that survive focal ischemia and kainate-induced epileptic seizures, the results reported here support the hypothesis that GADD45 could have a protective role in neuronal injury.