Social interaction improves experimental stroke outcome.
OBJECTIVE
Social interaction can have a profound effect on health. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether affiliative social interactions before and after stroke improve ischemic outcomes as assessed through histological analysis and behavioral assays.


METHODS
Male and female C57BL/6 mice were housed individually or with an ovariectomized female. Behavioral assessments were made 24 hours before 60 or 90 minutes of transient intraluminal middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) or SHAM surgery and after 7 days of reperfusion. Two hours after behavioral testing on day 7, infarct size was determined by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium histology, and blood samples were collected for assessment of corticosterone and C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations.


RESULTS
Pair housing significantly decreased infarct size and improved contralateral paw use in 60-minute MCAO males and 90-minute MCAO females compared with socially isolated cohorts. Housing condition had no significant effect on infarct size in females that underwent 60 minutes of MCAO, but pair housing was associated with improved contralateral paw use relative to socially isolated mice. In a separate cohort of males, intraischemic CRP concentration was significantly reduced in pair-housed males relative to isolated males.


CONCLUSIONS
Affiliative interaction during the peri-ischemic period reduces intraischemic CRP concentration, decreases ischemic damage in male and female mice, and improves behavioral outcome.
Craft
Tara K S
TK
Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
Glasper
Erica R
ER
McCullough
Louise
L
Zhang
Ning
N
Sugo
Nobuo
N
Otsuka
Takashi
T
Hurn
Patricia D
PD
DeVries
A Courtney
AC
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000473:pathology; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000096:biosynthesis; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000473:pathology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D020244:Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000628:therapy; D007249:Inflammation; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007511:Ischemia / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D020521:Stroke / Q000628:therapy*; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts / Q000494:pharmacology; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D004396:Coloring Agents; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts; C009591:triphenyltetrazolium; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D003345:Corticosterone