title: Splenectomy reduces infarct volume and neuroinflammation in male but not female mice in experimental stroke.
abstract: The peripheral immune response contributes to neurodegeneration after stroke yet little is known about how this process differs between males and females. The current study demonstrates that splenectomy prior to experimental stroke eliminates sex differences in infarct volume and activated brain monocytes/microglia. In the periphery of both sexes, activated T cells correlate directly with stroke outcome while monocytes are reduced by splenectomy only in males. This study provides new information about the sex specific mechanisms of the peripheral immune response in neurodegeneration after stroke and demonstrates the need for representation of both sexes in basic and clinical stroke research.
authors.affiliation: Neuroimmunology Research, VA Medical Center, Portland, OR, USA; Department of Neurology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
authors.forename: Abby L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Dotson
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
authors.forename: Jianming
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Saugstad
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
authors.forename: Stephanie J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.affiliation: Neuroimmunology Research, VA Medical Center, Portland, OR, USA; Department of Neurology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA; Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA. Electronic address: offnerva@ohsu.edu.
authors.forename: Halina
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Offner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D020520:Brain Infarction / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016923:Cell Death / Q000276:immunology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D020244:Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000150:complications; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D017628:Microglia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000276:immunology; D013156:Splenectomy; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines
keywords: Experimental stroke; Immune response; Infarct volume; Neuroinflammation; Sex difference; Splenectomy