Abstract

Ischemic stroke is a debilitating neurological disease most commonly resulting from an occlusion within the cerebral vasculature. Ischemia/reperfusion injury is oftentimes a consequence of stroke, characterized by oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and the activation of surrounding glial cells following restoration of blood supply. Astrocytes are regarded as the most prominent glial cell in the brain and, under pathologic conditions, display, among other pathologies, activated (GFAP) relatively proportional to the degree of reactivity. The primary objective of the study was to determine the temporal profile of astrocyte reactivity following ischemic stroke. Thirty-four Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned to surgery consisting of either 90-min middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo) or sham surgery. Animals were sub-grouped by postoperative euthanization day; 2 days (n = 10), 4 days (n = 11), and 7 days (n = 13). Fluorescence microscopy and densitometry were utilized to quantify GFAP immunoreactivity, which indicated a non-linear relationship following ischemia/reperfusion. Results demonstrated substantially higher GFAP levels in MCAo groups than in sham, with peak GFAP reactivity being shown in the brains of rats euthanized on day 4. These findings are applicable to future research, especially in the investigation of interventions that target reactive astrocytes following ischemic injury.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.