Protective effects of minaprine in infarction produced by occluding middle cerebral artery in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats

Ginsenoside Rb(1) prevents image navigation disability, cortical infarction, and thalamic degeneration in rats with focal cerebral ischemia

Oral administration of red ginseng powder before but not after transient forebrain ischemia prevents delayed neuronal death in gerbils. One neuroprotective molecule within red ginseng powder is ginsenoside Rb(1). The mechanism of action(s) of ginsenoside Rb(1) remains to be determined. We performed intracerebroventricular infusion of 0.6 microg/d ginsenoside Rb(1) before or after permanent occlusion of the left middle cerebral artery in stroke-prone spontaneous hypertensive rats. Ginsenoside Rb(1) significantly decreased escape latency on repeated trials of the Morris water maze test, throughout the first to fourth trial days at 2 and 4 weeks after MCA occlusion (P<.05, P<.01 or P<.001). The ratio of the infarcted area to the left hemispheric area in the groups treated with 0.6 microg/d of ginsenoside Rb(1) was significantly smaller than that in the saline-treated ischemic group (P<.05 or P<.001). The continuous infusion of ginsenoside Rb(1) (0.06 microg/d) was less effective and the other doses examined were ineffective in ameliorating ischemia-induced image navigation disability and reducing cortical infarct size. There were significant differences in neuron numbers in the ventroposterior thalamic nucleus and in the left-to-right ratio of the thalamic area between the saline-infused ischemic group and the ginsenoside Rb(1)-treated ischemic group (P<.05 or P<.01). Moreover, ginsenoside Rb(1) at concentrations of 0.1 to 100 fg/mL (0.09 to 90 fM), facilitated neurite extension and rescued cortical neurons from lethal damage caused by the free radical-promoting agent FeSO(4), in vitro (P<.05 or P<.01). These findings suggest that ginsenoside Rb(1) protects the cerebral cortex against lethal ischemic damage possibly by acting as a neurotrophic factor-like agent and by scavenging free radicals, which are overproduced in situ during and after brain ischemia. The final link between the in vivo neuroprotective action and the in vitro neurotrophic and antioxidant activities of ginsenoside Rb(1) remains to be determined.

Effect of TTC-909 on cerebral infarction following permanent occlusion of the middle cerebral artery in stroke prone spontaneously hypertensive rats

We investigated the effect of TTC-909, a drug preparation of the stable prostaglandin I(2) analogue clinprost (isocarbacyclin methylester; methyl 5-[(1S,5S,6R,7R)-7-hydroxy-6-[(E)-(S)-3-hydroxy-1-octenyl] bicyclo[3.3.0]oct-2-en-3-yl] pentanoate) incorporated into lipid microspheres, on cerebral infarction 7 days after permanent occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) in stroke prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP). Under the anesthesia, the MCA was permanently occluded above the rhinal fissure. In schedule 1, vehicle or TTC-909 was injected i.v. once daily over 7 days starting immediately after MCA occlusion. In schedule 2, vehicle or TTC-909 was infused for 3 h starting immediately after MCA occlusion. In schedule 3, vehicle or TTC-909 was infused for 3 h starting immediately after MCA occlusion followed by bolus injection once daily over 6 days. Seven days later, the infarct volume was estimated following hematoxylin and eosin staining. Cerebral infarction produced by permanent occlusion of MCA was limited to the cerebral cortex. While this volume was reduced significantly in case of schedule 3, the infarct volume was not reduced significantly in schedules 1 and 2. Ozagrel, a thromboxane A(2) synthetase inhibitor, had no effect on the infarct volume in schedule 3. These results suggest that cerebral infarction can be developed progressively not only during the first few hours but also after a permanent occlusion of MCA in SHRSP. TTC-909 inhibited cerebral infarction, maybe by improving cerebral blood flow and by protecting against neuronal damage.

Effect of TTC-909 in a middle cerebral artery thrombosis model in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats

We investigated the effect of TTC-909, a preparation of the stable prostaglandin I(2) analogue clinprost (isocarbacyclin methylester; methyl 5-[(1S,5S,6R,7R)-7-hydroxy-6-[(E)-(S)-3-hydroxy-1-octenyl] bicyclo[3.3.0]oct-2-en-3-yl] pentanoate) incorporated into lipid microspheres, on infarct volume 24 h after photochemically induced thrombotic occlusion of the middle cerebral artery in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Under anesthesia, the photosensitizing dye rose bengal (20 mg/kg) was administered intravenously and photoirradiation with green light (wavelength 540 nm) on the middle cerebral artery above the rhinal fissure was achieved using a xenon lamp for 10 min. Infarct volume 24 h after the photochemically induced thrombotic occlusion of the middle cerebral artery was significantly larger in stroke-prone SHR than in Wistar rats. When TTC-909 in doses of 100, 300 and 900 ng/kg/h was intravenously infused for 3 h, starting immediately after the end of the 10-min photoirradiation, the infarct volume was dose-dependently reduced and was statistically significant at a dose of 900 ng/kg/h (p < 0.05). Ozagrel, a thromboxane A(2) synthetase inhibitor, significantly reduced the infarct volume. The model of photochemically induced thrombotic occlusion of the middle cerebral artery in stroke-prone SHR is very useful, because the cerebral infarction is large enough and reproducible. TTC-909 may be effective for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke.

Expressions of neuropilin-1, neuropilin-2 and semaphorin 3A mRNA in the rat brain after middle cerebral artery occlusion

This study investigated the spatial and temporal expressions of mRNA encoding neuropilin (Npn)-1, Npn-2 and semaphorin3A (Sema3A) in the rat brain after occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MAC) distal to the striate branches. The expression of Npn-1 mRNA was transiently upregulated in layers V and VI of the parietal cortex not entering infarction on the lesion side from 3 to 6 h after MCA occlusion. The transient up-regulation of Npn-1 mRNA expression was presumably accompanied by an increase in Npn-1 protein as shown by immunohistochemistry in combination with in situ hybridization histochemistry. Intense Npn-2 mRNA expression was noted temporarily in layer II of the parietal cortex on the lesion side from 1 to 6 h after MCA occlusion. The expression of Sema3A mRNA was upregulated in layer VI of the non-infarcted parietal cortex on the lesion side at 6 h after MCA occlusion. The above increases in mRNA expression were no longer observed at 12 h after MCA occlusion. The expressions of Npn-1, -2 and Sema3A mRNA were not detected in the ventroposterior thalamic nucleus undergoing secondary degeneration after MCA occlusion. In the infarct lesion or ischemic core, neuronal expressions of Npn-1, -2 and Sema3A disappeared by 3 days after MCA occlusion as the neurons in situ entered apoptosis or necrosis. In contrast, ED-1-positive microglia/macrophages with Npn-1 and Npn-2 mRNA were observed in the infarct lesion at 1 week after MCA occlusion. These findings suggest that the temporal up-regulation of Npn-1 and Sema 3A mRNA expressions in the non-infarcted parietal cortex on the lesion side is insufficient to induce neuronal cell death possibly because the up-regulated mRNA molecules are not fully translated and that the overexpression of Npn-1 and/or Npn-2 in the ischemic core with degenerating neurons enables activated microglial cells to contact the damaged neurons in situ for phagocytosis.

An 18-mer peptide fragment of prosaposin ameliorates place navigation disability, cortical infarction, and retrograde thalamic degeneration in rats with focal cerebral ischemia

It was previously reported that prosaposin possesses neurotrophic activity that is ascribed to an 18-mer peptide comprising the hydrophilic sequence of the rat saposin C domain. To evaluate the effect of the 18-mer peptide on ischemic neuronal damage, the peptide was infused in the left lateral ventricle immediately after occlusion of the left middle cerebral artery (MCA) in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive (SP-SH) rats. The treatment ameliorated the ischemia-induced space navigation disability and cortical infarction and prevented secondary thalamic degeneration in a dose-dependent manner. In culture experiments, treatment with the 18-mer peptide attenuated free radical-induced neuronal injury at low concentrations (0.002 to 2 pg/mL), and the peptide at higher concentrations (0.2 to 20 ng/mL) protected neurons against hypoxic insult. Furthermore, a saposin C fragment comprising the 18-mer peptide bound to synaptosomal fractions of the cerebral cortex, and this binding decreased at the 1st day after MCA occlusion and recovered to the preischemic level at the 7th day after ischemia. These findings suggest that the 18-mer peptide ameliorates neuronal damage in vivo and in vitro through binding to the functional receptor, although the cDNA encoding prosaposin receptor has not been determined yet.

Changes in protein synthesis and calcium homeostasis in the thalamus of spontaneously hypertensive rats with focal cerebral ischemia

The thalamus has been shown to undergo secondary degeneration after cerebrocortical ischemia. However, little is known about the time course of the retrograde thalamic degeneration. The present study was designed to investigate time-dependent changes in the morphology, protein synthesis and calcium metabolism of thalamic neurons in middle cerebral artery (MCA)-occluded spontaneously hypertensive stroke-prone rats that showed primary focal ischemia in the temporoparietal cortex after permanent occlusion of the left distal MCA. In the histologic study by light and electron microscopy, swelling of the nucleus and shrinkage of the perikarya were seen in some neurons of the ventroposterior (VP) thalamic nucleus on the lesioned side at 5 days after ischemia. At the same time, the incorporation of radiolabeled leucine in VP thalamic neurons began to decrease significantly with concomitant a decrease in the number of polyribosomes in the neurons. Conspicuous 45Ca accumulation was noted at 3 days after ischemia and persisted up to 1 month in the VP thalamic nucleus on the lesioned side. These findings suggest that the secondary thalamic degeneration after cortical infarction starts with disruption of calcium homeostasis in situ at the third day after MCA occlusion, followed by a decrease in polyribosomes but not by disaggregation of polyribosomes as seen in hippocampal CA1 neurons subjected to transient forebrain ischemia.

Ciliary neurotrophic factor attenuates spatial cognition impairment, cortical infarction and thalamic degeneration in spontaneously hypertensive rats with focal cerebral ischemia

Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) has been shown to exhibit potent neurotrophic activity on peripheral and central neurons in vitro and in vivo. However, it remains to be determined whether or not CNTF rescues neuronal loss due to focal cerebral ischemia and prevents ischemia-induced disability of space navigation in rats. In the present in vivo study, we infused CNTF continuously for 4 weeks into the lateral ventricle, starting just after permanent occlusion of the left middle cerebral artery (MCA) of stroke-prone spontaneous hypertensive rats. CNTF infusion prevented the occurrence of ischemia-induced learning disability in a dose-dependent manner in rats subjected to the Morris water maze task. Subsequent histological examinations showed that cortical infarction and retrograde degeneration of the ipsilateral thalamic neurons in ischemic rats infused with CNTF were significantly less severe than those in ischemic rats infused with vehicle alone. These findings suggest that postischemic CNTF treatment prevents the occurrence of spatial learning disability in rats with permanent MCA occlusion, possibly by reducing neuronal damage within the cerebral cortex and secondary retrograde degeneration of the thalamus.

In vivo studies of extracellular metabolites in the striatum after distal middle cerebral artery occlusion in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

We demonstrated in a previous study that 45Ca accumulation in the lateral part of the striatum was detected 3 days after distal middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion using a 45Ca autoradiographic technique in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats. However, the mechanism of delayed neuronal damage that occurred in the lateral part of the striatum is unknown. We examined changes in amino acids and monoamines in the striatums of rat brains after MCA occlusion in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats using an in vivo brain microdialysis technique.

METHODS

Microdialysis probes were inserted into the lateral or medial part of the striatum 24 hours before the experiment. The dialysis probe was perfused continuously at 2 microL/min with Ringer's solution, and the dialysate samples were collected every 20 minutes. After a 3-hour period for baseline stabilization, the right MCA was occluded. The dialysate count of monoamines and amino acids was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography.

RESULTS

After MCA occlusion, a threefold transient increase in glutamate was observed in the lateral part of the striatum. The level returned to its baseline value 60 minutes after MCA occlusion. Dopamine in the lateral part increased twofold to its peak value. This release persisted for 2 hours after MCA occlusion. There were no significant changes in these components in the extracellular fluid of the medial part of the striatum.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study demonstrated that changes of neurotransmitters in the lateral part of the striatum after MCA occlusion differed from those in the medial part. These results suggest that excessive release of glutamate and dopamine is related to delayed neuronal damage that occurs in the lateral part of the striatum in this model.

Stable prostacyclin improves postischaemic microcirculatory changes in hypertensive rats

The prostacyclin analogue TTC-909 is incorporated in lipid microspheres and is chemically very stable. We examined the efficacy of TTC-909 on cerebral microcirculation following focal cerebral ischaemia. Focal cerebral ischaemia was produced by the occlusion of the distal middle cerebral artery in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats. Intravenous administration of TTC-909 (100 ng/kg/day) or vehicle was started 30 minutes after the occlusion and repeated for 7 days. On day 7, cerebral blood flow and blood-brain barrier permeability were measured autoradiographically. Brain oedema was estimated by the gravimetric method. The size of the infarction was calculated from area measurements on serial histologic sections. Treatment with TTC-909 resulted in significant improvement in regional blood flow in the ischaemic rim (p < 0.01) and the surrounding area (p < 0.05). With TTC-909 treatment, the increased permeability was significantly reduced in the ischaemic centre (p < 0.01) and rim (p < 0.05). A decrease in specific gravity in the ischaemic region and the remote non-ischaemic regions was prevented by the treatment (p < 0.01). We assumed that the efficacy of TTC-909 maintains the blood supply in the ischaemic area, improves disruption of the blood-brain barrier and prevents development of ischaemic oedema.

Blood-brain barrier, cerebral blood flow, and brain edema in spontaneously hypertensive rats with chronic focal ischemia

This study was conducted to explore the participation of blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability and cerebral blood flow (CBF) on the development of ischemic brain edema in rats with chronic arterial hypertension. Young spontaneously hypertensive rats were used, and focal ischemia was produced by occluding the distal middle cerebral artery (MCA). On day 7 after MCA occlusion, BBB permeability and CBF were measured by autoradiographic methods using 14C-alpha-amino-isobutyric acid (AIB) and 14C-iodoantipyrine. BBB permeability (transfer constant for AIB) was significantly higher in the ischemic center and periphery. The CBF of the ischemic cortex showed a graded reduction from the ischemic center to the surrounding area. The ischemic brain regions showed significantly decreased specific gravity. We conclude that SHRSP may be more vulnerable to BBB disruption after ischemia.

Post-ischaemic treatment with the prostacycline analogue TTC-909 reduces ischaemic brain injury

The effects of stable PGI analogue TTC-909 on CBF and glucose metabolism was studied in the chronic stage of cerebral ischaemia produced by occluding the distal MCA in SHRSP. Administration of TTC-909 (100 ng/kg/day during 7 days) prevented the development of ischaemic oedema and improved secondary metabolic derangement coupled to flow in postischaemic tissues, particularly in the ischaemic rim.