title: Cerebral tissue repair and atrophy after embolic stroke in rat: a magnetic resonance imaging study of erythropoietin therapy.
abstract: Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocols of T(2)-, T(2)*-, diffusion- and susceptibility-weighted imaging (T2WI, T2*WI, DWI, and SWI, respectively) with a 7T system, we tested the hypothesis that treatment of embolic stroke with erythropoietin (EPO) initiated at 24 hr and administered daily for 7 days after stroke onset has benefit in repairing ischemic cerebral tissue. Adult Wistar rats were subjected to embolic stroke by means of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and were randomly assigned to a treatment (n = 11) or a control (n = 11) group. The treated group was given EPO intraperitoneally at a dose of 5,000 IU/kg daily for 7 days starting 24 hr after MCAO. Controls were given an equal volume of saline. MRI was performed at 24 hr and then weekly for 6 weeks. MRI and histological measurements were compared between groups. Serial T2WI demonstrated that expansion of the ipsilateral ventricle was significantly reduced in the EPO-treated rats. The volume ratio of ipsilateral parenchymal tissue relative to the contralateral hemisphere was significantly increased after EPO treatment compared with control animals, indicating that EPO significantly reduces atrophy of the ipsilateral hemisphere, although no significant differences in ischemic lesion volume were observed between the two groups. Angiogenesis and white matter remodeling were significantly increased and occurred earlier in EPO-treated animals than in the controls, as evident from T2*WI and diffusion anisotropy maps, respectively. These data indicate that EPO treatment initiated 24 hr poststroke promotes angiogenesis and axonal remodeling in the ischemic boundary, which may potentially reduce atrophy of the ipsilateral hemisphere.
authors: Department of Neurology, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI 48202, USA.
authors: Guangliang
authors: G
authors: Ding
authors: Quan
authors: Q
authors: Jiang
authors: Lian
authors: L
authors: Li
authors: Li
authors: L
authors: Zhang
authors: Ying
authors: Y
authors: Wang
authors: Zheng Gang
authors: ZG
authors: Zhang
authors: Mei
authors: M
authors: Lu
authors: Swayamprava
authors: S
authors: Panda
authors: Qingjiang
authors: Q
authors: Li
authors: James R
authors: JR
authors: Ewing
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Chopp
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001284:Atrophy; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020766:Intracranial Embolism / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D020521:Stroke / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D004921:Erythropoietin