White matter activated glial cells produce BDNF in a stroke model of monkeys.
Lacunar-type stroke accounts for approximately a quarter of all ischemic strokes, and is the most common cause of vascular dementia. Despite its importance, there are few specific treatments for lacunar stroke, probably due largely to a lack of animal models. In this study, we developed a stroke model in a higher primate, the Macaque monkey. This was achieved by occluding the deep subcortical penetrating arteries with agarose spheres of mean diameters around 50 microm, and the appropriateness of this model as a lacunar-type stroke was verified by MRI. We observed widespread gliosis in the ipsilateral white matter (WM) of the stroke monkey. We also analyzed the expression of neurotrophins in the activated glial cells, and found that their expression of BDNF was stimulated in the affected WM following ischemic injury. Our results support the idea that WM glial cells play an active role in protecting and promoting the regeneration of nerve fibers in the affected WM of the ischemic brain, by producing BDNF. These findings may be useful for the development of new therapeutic strategies aimed at preventing or treating stroke.
Sato
Yuki
Y
Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8562, Japan.
Chin
Yo
Y
Kato
Tomomasa
T
Tanaka
Yuichi
Y
Tozuka
Yusuke
Y
Mase
Mitsuhito
M
Ageyama
Naohide
N
Ono
Fumiko
F
Terao
Keiji
K
Yoshikawa
Yasuhiro
Y
Hisatsune
Tatsuhiro
T
D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D020520:Brain Infarction / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D005911:Gliosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D020772:Internal Capsule / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D008252:Macaca fascicularis; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D020521:Stroke / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology
D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein