title: Intracerebroventricular injection of epidermal growth factor reduces neurological deficit and infarct volume and enhances nestin expression following focal cerebral infarction in adult hypertensive rats.
abstract: 1. Studies have documented the proliferative effects of epidermal growth factor (EGF) on neural progenitor cells in the normal or injured brain. The effect of EGF on post-stroke cerebral expression of nestin, a marker of neural progenitor cells, has not been examined in hypertensive rats. 2. In the present study, adult renovascular hypertensive Sprague-Dawley rats underwent either real or sham middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Intracerebroventricular injections of either 1 microg EGF or vehicle (0.01 mol/L phosphate-buffered saline containing 0.1 mg/mL rat serum albumin) were made 24 and 48 h after MCAO. Then, 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks after MCAO, the postural reflex was evaluated in a blinded fashion before rat brains were processed to determine the infarct volume plus immunoreactivity for nestin and/or glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Another group of rats was used to quantify nestin expression using western blot analysis. 3. Middle cerebral artery occlusion resulted in a focal infarct that was largest at 1 week and diminished gradually over the time. The impaired postural reflex followed a similar time-course. In addition, MCAO induced a marked increase in nestin expression in both hemispheres, with a higher expression in the right hemisphere; this change was maximal at 1 week and largely subsided at 3 or 4 weeks. Within the right hemisphere, nestin expression was most pronounced in the subventricular and peri-infarct zones. Most nestin-immunoreactive cells were also positive for GFAP. 4. Thus, EGF treatment significantly increases nestin expression, reduces infarct volume and ameliorates postural reflex impairment in adult hypertensive rats.
authors: Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors: Jian
authors: J
authors: Yu
authors: Jinsheng
authors: J
authors: Zeng
authors: Raymond T
authors: RT
authors: Cheung
authors: Li
authors: L
authors: Xiong
authors: Meixia
authors: M
authors: He
authors: Zhijian
authors: Z
authors: Liang
authors: Hua
authors: H
authors: Hong
authors: Ruxun
authors: R
authors: Huang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D007276:Injections, Intraventricular; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D064231:Nestin; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012018:Reflex / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C577486:Nes protein, rat; D064231:Nestin; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor