Exacerbation Of Ischemic Damage Research Articles

The progression and topographic distribution of interleukin-1beta expression after permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion in the rat.

The cytokine interleukin-1 (IL-1) has been implicated in the exacerbation of ischemic damage in the brains of rodents. This study has ascertained the cellular localization and chronologic and topographic distribution of pro/mature interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) protein 0.5, 1, 2, 6, 24, and 48 hours after ischemia by subjecting rats to permanent unilateral occlusion of the middle cerebral artery. Interleukin-1beta was localized immunocytochemically in vibratome sections of perfusion-fixed brains. The cells that expressed IL-1beta had the morphologic features of microglia and macrophages. Interleukin-1beta was first detected 1 hour after occlusion in ipsilateral meningeal macrophage-like cells. By 6 hours, pro/mature IL-1beta-immunoreactive (IL-1(beta)ir) putative microglia were present in the ischemic cerebral cortex, corpus callosum, caudoputamen, and surrounding tissue. By 24 and 48 hours after ischemia, the number and spread of IL-1(beta)ir cells increased greatly, including those resembling activated microglia and macrophages, as the core of the infarct became infiltrated. Interleukin-1(beta)ir cells also were present in apparently undamaged tissue, adjacent to the lesion ipsilaterally, and contralaterally in the cerebral cortex, dorsal corpus callosum, dorsal caudoputamen, and hippocampus. These results support the functional role of IL-1 in ischemic brain damage and reveal a distinct temporal and spatial expression of IL-1beta protein in cells believed to be microglia and macrophages.

Role of arachidonic acid metabolites in cardiac ischemia and reperfusion injury.

Myocardial reperfusion after prolonged periods of ischemia may result in the acceleration and exacerbation of ventricular injury. This is associated with intramitochondrial calcium overload and gross alterations in ultrastructure. Prostaglandins (PGs) (e.g., PGE2, PGE2 alpha, thromboxane A2, PGl2) are synthesized by the heart during myocardial infarction, and cardiotoxic influences of arachidonate on contractile recovery with enhanced efflux of enzymes occur after reperfusion. Accumulation of arachidonic acid in early ischemia indicates degradation of phospholipids as structural components of myocyte membranes. One major cause for reperfusion-induced exacerbation of ischemic damage is a free radical-induced peroxidation of lipids with cellular disruption. On reperfusion, both vasoconstrictive and dilator PGs are released from platelets, myocytes, and endothelium, and flushed downstream. This may cause additional vasoconstriction in the microcirculation of normally and/or hypoperfused cardiac regions. Locally released vasodilating PGs can improve cardiac perfusion and prevent plugging of blood elements, thereby antagonizing cell destruction during flow restoration. Several drugs are available that modify blood cell and myocyte arachidonate metabolism, and may favor synthesis of dilating and antiaggregatory PGs.