title: High matrix metalloproteinase-9 expression induces angiogenesis and basement membrane degradation in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats after cerebral infarction.
abstract: Basement membrane degradation and blood-brain barrier damage appear after cerebral infarction, severely impacting neuronal and brain functioning; however, the underlying pathogenetic mechanisms remain poorly understood. In this study, we induced cerebral infarction in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats by intragastric administration of high-sodium water (1.3% NaCl) for 7 consecutive weeks. Immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence assays demonstrated that, compared with the non-infarcted contralateral hemisphere, stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats on normal sodium intake and Wistar-Kyoto rats, matrix metalloproteinase-9 expression, the number of blood vessels with discontinuous collagen IV expression and microvessel density were significantly higher, and the number of continuous collagen IV-positive blood vessels was lower in the infarct border zones of stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats given high-sodium water. Linear correlation analysis showed matrix metalloproteinase-9 expression was positively correlated with the number of discontinuously collagen IV-labeled blood vessels and microvessel density in cerebral infarcts of stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats. These results suggest that matrix metalloproteinase-9 upregulation is associated with increased regional angiogenesis and degradation of collagen IV, the major component of the basal lamina, in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats with high-sodium water-induced focal cerebral infarction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Medical School of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China.
authors.forename: Huilian
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Medical School of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China.
authors.forename: Guanjun
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Medical School of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China.
authors.forename: Hongyan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Medical School of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China.
authors.forename: Huilin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Medical School of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China.
authors.forename: Chunbao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Medical School of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China.
authors.forename: Xuebin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
keywords: China Medical Board Project; angiogenesis; basement membrane degradation; cerebral infarction; collagen IV; high sodium; matrix metalloproteinase-9; microvessel density; nerve regeneration; neural regeneration; stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive