Influence of the duration of ischemia and reperfusion on infarct volume and microvascular damage in mice.
OBJECTIVE
Focal cerebral ischemia is responsible for alterations of vascular permeability, and the loss of microvascular integrity is a primary source of subsequent hemorrhages. We evaluated the influence of different durations of ischemia and reperfusion on infarction size and microvascular damage after focal cerebral ischemia in the mouse.


METHODS
C57BL/6 mice (n=39) were subjected to focal cerebral ischemia (I) and reperfusion (R). Consecutive brain sections were analysed for infarction volumes (Nissl-staining) and for collagen type IV (immunohistochemistry and western blot).


RESULTS
Infarction size (percentage of the infarction volume versus ipsilateral hemisphere) increased with total time of ischemia and reperfusion: 19+/-2% (I3R0), 30+/-2% (I3R3), 36+/-4% (I3R12), 41+/-4% (I1R24), 45+/-6% (I2R24) and 58+/-2% (I3R24). The ischemic hemispheres showed a significant progressive reduction of collagen type IV positive vessels (ischemic versus non-ischemic contralateral area): 90+/-3% (I3R0), 88+/-1% (I3R3), 82+/-3% (I3R12), 85+/-3% (I1R24), 79+/-3% (I2R24), 72+/-2% (I3R24).


CONCLUSIONS
Both prolonged ischemia and reperfusion lead to an increased infarction volume, as well as progressive microvascular damage.
Department of Neurology, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Klinikum Grosshadern, Munich, Germany.
Milan R
MR
Vosko
Dorothe
D
Burggraf
Martin
M
Liebetrau
Nathalie
N
Wunderlich
Gabriele
G
Jäger
Moritz
M
Gröger
Nikolaus
N
Plesnila
Gerhard F
GF
Hamann
D000818:Animals; D001485:Basement Membrane / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D020520:Brain Infarction / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D024141:Collagen Type IV / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D020244:Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D020768:Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*
D024141:Collagen Type IV