Ependymal/subventricular zone cells migrate to the peri-infarct region and differentiate into neurons and astrocytes after focal cerebral ischemia in adult rats.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the migration and differentiation of ependymal/subventricular zone cells after focal cerebral ischemia in rats, and reveal the origin of the newly generated neural cells in the peri-infarct region.


METHODS
Normal adult male Sprague Dawley rats weighing 250-350 g were used in this study. Before middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), 10 microl of 0.2% DiI was injected into the lateral ventricle for prelabeling the ependymal/subventricular zone cells. After ischemia, cumulative BrdU labeling was employed to detect the newly generated cells and double immunofluorescent staining to identify cell differentiation. The labeled cells were observed with laser confocal microscopy.


RESULTS
In the non-ischemic control rats, DiI-labeled cells resided in the ependyma/subventricular zone. After focal cerebral ischemia, DiI-labeled cells were found in the corpus callosum, adjacent striatum and cortex, and some DiI/BrdU/glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-positive cells or DiI/BrdU/ neuronal nuclear antigen (NeuN)-positive cells were observed in the peri-infarct region in the striatum or cortex since day 14 after MCAO.


CONCLUSIONS
After focal cerebral ischemia, ependymal/subventricular zone cells migrate into the peri-infarct region where they differentiate into neurons and astrocytes. This finding may be important for understanding the source of adult neural stem cells and for developing new therapeutic intervention strategy through enhancing endogenous neurogenesis after brain injury.
Zhang
Peng-bo
PB
Research Center for Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases of Education Ministry, Medical School of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China. zhpbo@163.com
Liu
Yong
Y
Li
Jie
J
Kang
Qian-yan
QY
Tian
Ying-fang
YF
Chen
Xin-lin
XL
Zhao
Jian-jun
JJ
Shi
Qin-dong
QD
Song
Tu-sheng
TS
Qian
Yi-hua
YH
D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000166:cytology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D002465:Cell Movement; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology; D003337:Corpus Callosum / Q000473:pathology; D004805:Ependyma / Q000166:cytology*; D020244:Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000473:pathology*; D020547:Lateral Ventricles / Q000166:cytology*; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley