title: Acute neuronal injury and blood genomic profiles in a nonhuman primate model for ischemic stroke.
abstract: The goal of this study was to characterize acute neuronal injury in a novel nonhuman primate (NHP) ischemic stroke model by using multiple outcome measures. Silk sutures were inserted into the M1 segment of the middle cerebral artery of rhesus macaques to achieve permanent occlusion  of the vessel. The sutures were introduced via the femoral artery by using endovascular microcatheterization techniques. Within hours after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), infarction was detectable by using diffusion-weighted MRI imaging. The infarcts expanded by 24 h after MCAO and  then were detectable on T2-weighted images. The infarcts seen by MRI were consistent with neuronal injury demonstrated histologically. Neurobehavioral function after MCAO was determined by using 2 neurologic testing scales. Neurologic assessments indicated that impairment after ischemia was  limited to motor function in the contralateral arm; other neurologic and behavioral parameters were largely unaffected. We also used microarrays to examine gene expression profiles in peripheral blood mononuclear cells after MCAO-induced ischemia. Several genes were altered in a time-dependent  manner after MCAO, suggesting that this ischemia model may be suitable for identifying blood biomarkers associated with the presence and severity of ischemia. This NHP stroke model likely will facilitate the elucidation of mechanisms associated with acute neuronal injury after ischemia. In  addition, the ability to identify candidate blood biomarkers in NHP after ischemia may prompt the development of new strategies for the diagnosis and treatment of ischemic stroke in humans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Caribbean Primate Research Center, Animal Resources Center, University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rodriguez-Mercado
authors.forename: Gregory D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Ford
authors.forename: Zhenfeng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Edmundo N
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Kraiselburd
authors.forename: Melween I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.forename: Vesna A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Eterović
authors.forename: Edgar
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Colon
authors.forename: Idia V
authors.initials: IV
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Portilla
authors.forename: Pedro A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Ferchmin
authors.forename: Lynette
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gierbolini
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rodriguez-Carrasquillo
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Powell
authors.forename: John V K
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Pulliam
authors.forename: Casey O
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: McCraw
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gates
authors.forename: Byron D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Ford
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002404:Catheterization; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D003943:Diagnostic Techniques, Neurological; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006652:Histological Techniques; D020244:Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D046228:Microarray Analysis; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology; D011596:Psychomotor Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D020521:Stroke / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines