title: Neuroprotective effect of ischemic preconditioning in focal cerebral infarction: relationship with upregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor.
abstract: Neuroprotection by ischemic preconditioning has been confirmed by many studies, but the precise mechanism remains unclear. In the present study, we performed cerebral ischemic preconditioning in rats by simulating a transient ischemic attack twice (each a 20-minute occlusion of the middle cerebral artery) before inducing focal cerebral infarction (2 hour occlusion-reperfusion in the same artery). We also explored the mechanism underlying the neuroprotective effect of ischemic preconditioning. Seven days after occlusion-reperfusion, tetrazolium chloride staining and immunohistochemistry revealed that the infarct volume was significantly smaller in the group that underwent preconditioning than in the model group. Furthermore, vascular endothelial growth factor immunoreactivity was considerably greater in the hippocampal CA3 region of preconditioned rats than model rats. Our results suggest that the protective effects of ischemic preconditioning on focal cerebral infarction are associated with upregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China ; Department of Neurology, Taihe Hospital Affiliated to Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei Province, China.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
authors.forename: Suiqiang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Taihe Hospital Affiliated to Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei Province, China.
authors.forename: Yunfu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Taihe Hospital Affiliated to Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei Province, China.
authors.forename: Jingquan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Taihe Hospital Affiliated to Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei Province, China.
authors.forename: Lili
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Taihe Hospital Affiliated to Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei Province, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Taihe Hospital Affiliated to Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei Province, China.
authors.forename: Guangjian
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liu
keywords: brain injury; focal cerebral infarction; infarct volume ratio; ischemia-reperfusion; ischemic preconditioning; mechanism; nerve regeneration; neural regeneration; protection; transient ischemic attack; vascular endothelial growth factor