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Cortical Negative DC Deflections following Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion and KCl-Induced Spreading Depression: Effect on Blood Flow, Tissue Oxygenation, and Electroencephalogram

In the periphery of ischemic brain lesions, transient spreading depression-like direct current (DC) deflections occur that may be of pathophysiological importance for determining the volume of the ischemic infarct. The effect of these deflections on cerebral blood flow, tissue oxygen tension, and electrophysiology was studied in rats submitted to intraluminal thread occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) and compared with the changes following potassium chloride (KCl)-induced spreading depression of intact animals. Immediately after MCA occlusion, cortical laser–Doppler flow (LDF) in the periphery of the MCA territory sharply decreased to 35 ± 14% of control (mean ± SD; p < 0.05), tissue Po2 declined from 28 ± 4 to 21 ± 3 mm Hg (p < 0.05), and EEG power fell to ∼80% of control. During 7-h occlusion, 3–11 DC deflections with a mean duration of 5.2 ± 4.8 min occurred at irregular intervals, and EEG power gradually declined to 66 ± 16% of control (p < 0.05). During the passage of DC deflections, LDF did not change, but Po2 further declined to 19 ± 4 mm Hg (p < 0.05). KCl-induced depolarizations of intact rats were significantly shorter (1.4 ± 0.5 min; p < 0.05) and were accompanied by a 43% increase in LDF (p < 0.05) and a slight but significant increase in tissue Po2 from 22 ± 4 to 25 ± 4 mm Hg (p < 0.05). The comparison of periinfarct and KCl-induced depolarizations demonstrates that oxygen requirements are not coupled to an appropriate flow response in the periinfarct zone with severely reduced blood flow. The resulting episodes of relative hypoxia could explain the previously documented relationship between the number of depolarizations and infarct volume.

Relationship between diffusion-weighted MR images, cerebral blood flow, and energy state in experimental brain infarction

The regional evolution of brain infarction was studied in Wistar rats submitted to remotely controlled thread occlusion of the middle cerebral artery. Occlusion was performed in the magnet of an NMR tomography system to allow continuous recording of diffusion-weighted images. After 30 min (n = 6) or 2 h (n = 9), cerebral blood flow was measured by [14C] iodoantipyrine autoradiography while the regional distribution of ATP, glucose, lactate, and pH was imaged using pictorial bioluminescence and fluoroscopic methods. In diffusion-weighted images, the hemispheric lesion area (HLA) at the level of caudate-putamen amounted to 54.2 +/- 10.9% after 30 min and to 67.0 +/- 5.9% after 2 h vascular occlusion. These areas corresponded to the regions exhibiting tissue acidosis (60.8 +/- 9.3% and 70.4 +/- 4.5%), but were clearly larger than those in which ATP was depleted (22.3 +/- 20.8% and 49.6 +/- 12.9% after 30 min and 2 h, respectively). The threshold of blood flow for the increase of signal intensity in diffusion-weighted images increased between 30 min and 2 h occlusion from 34 to 41 ml/100 g per minute, the threshold of acidosis from 40 to 47 ml/100 g per minute, and the threshold for ATP depletion from 13 to 19 ml/100 g per minute. Our study demonstrates that diffusion-weighted imaging detects both the core and the penumbra of the evolving infarction but is not able to differentiate between the two parts. It further shows that the ischemic lesion grows during the initial 2 h of vascular occlusion, and that the size of the infarct core increases more rapidly than that of the penumbra.

Diffusion nuclear magnetic resonance imaging in experimental stroke. Correlation with cerebral metabolites.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSEnDiffusion-weighted nuclear magnetic resonance imaging has been shown to detect early ischemia-related alterations in experimental stroke. This raises the question of whether the observed increase in signal intensity is correlated with changes in cerebral metabolism. After middle cerebral artery occlusion, nuclear magnetic resonance diffusion images were recorded and compared with the regional concentration of cerebral metabolites and with histology of identical planes.nnnMETHODSnSeven anesthetized Fischer rats were subjected to permanent occlusion of the middle cerebral artery. T1, T2, and diffusion images (b factors ranging from 0 to 1500 s/mm2) were measured in three to five planes after 7 hours. Thereafter, brains were frozen in situ for histology and quantitative bioluminescence imaging of ATP, glucose, lactate, and for fluorescence imaging of tissue pH.nnnRESULTSnSeven hours after middle cerebral artery occlusion, the apparent diffusion coefficient was reduced from 615 +/- 97 x 10(-6).mm2.s-1 (contralateral brain) to 359 +/- 42 x 10(-6).mm2.s-1 (ischemic brain; mean +/- SD, P < .01). A precise topical coincidence was demonstrated between changes in nuclear magnetic resonance diffusion images, pattern of histological damage, ATP-depleted areas, and local tissue acidosis, the lesion area amounting to between 24.1% and 27.6% of the hemisphere at the level of the caudate-putamen. The area of elevated brain lactate clearly exceeded the acidic core of the infarct and included the slightly alkaline border zone.nnnCONCLUSIONSnThe data demonstrate that after 7-hour middle cerebral artery occlusion, the reduction of the apparent diffusion coefficient in nuclear magnetic resonance diffusion images reflects precisely the region of histological injury, breakdown of energy metabolism, and tissue acidosis.

Differential Expression of the Immediate Early Genes c-Fos, c-Jun, JunB, and NGFI-B in the Rat Brain following Transient Forebrain Ischemia

The temporospatial expression pattern of four immediate early genes (IEGs) (c-fos, c-jun, junB, NGFI-B) following 30 min of global ischemia was investigated in rat brains by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry (c-fos). All examined IEG mRNAs, as well as Fos-like immunoreactivity, increased transiently in vulnerable and resistant brain regions following ischemia, but the induction profiles were distinct. Ischemia caused a post-ischemic early-onset, transient c-fos induction in widespread regions, as well as a late-onset induction restricted to vulnerable regions. Late-onset c-fos induction was observed in the CA1 region and the ventral thalamus but not in the striatum or neocortex, where neurons degenerate at a quicker pace. After recirculation, c-jun mRNA appeared to be initially coinduced with c-fos mRNA, but c-jun mRNA levels remained elevated or increased in various regions, including all vulnerable regions, when c-fos mRNA had already declined to near basal levels. Compared to c-fos and c-jun, junB induction was less pronounced and confined largely to the dentate gyrus. NGFI-B mRNA increased moderately and only in brain regions exhibiting the most dramatic c-fos increases and with similar kinetics. The differential activation of the investigated IEGs suggests that rather complex long-term adaptive processes may be initiated at the genomic level after global ischemia. The present findings provide further evidence that the activation of IEGs forms part of the brains metabolic response to ischemia, but no simple correlation appears to exist between the induction of the investigated IEGs and the phenomenon of selective vulnerability.

A modified rat model of middle cerebral artery thread occlusion under electrophysiological control for magnetic resonance investigations.

Previous magnetic resonance (MR) investigations of middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion in rats were limited by the lack of early post-occlusion MR measurements and/or electrophysiological monitoring. Therefore, we have developed a technique which allows to perform MCA occlusion inside the magnet under simultaneous recording of EEG and direct current (DC) potentials for monitoring the ischemic insult. Rats underwent intraluminal thread occlusion of the right MCA inside the MR tomograph via a catheter extension device, while EEG and DC potentials were recorded by non-magnetic graphite electrodes. The thread was slowly advanced until electrophysiological changes appeared. Diffusion-weighted MR images (DWI) were obtained before and repeatedly after MCA occlusion for up to 7 h. Thereafter, rat brains were frozen in situ or fixed by transcardiac perfusion and investigated by biochemical and histological techniques. In 15 of 18 animals (83%), MCA thread insertion caused immediate EEG changes and a negative DC potential shift at 4.4 +/- 1.8 min (mean +/- SD) after occlusion. In all animals with electrophysiological changes, signal intensity of DWI began to increase within the MCA territory at 12-14 min post-occlusion (the end of the first measurement), and continued to rise throughout the observation period. Ischemia was confirmed by demonstrating focal areas of energy depletion on ATP images. In the animals without electrophysiological changes, DWI or biochemical alterations were absent or confined to the central part of caudate-putamen. The histological lesion area of successfully occluded animals amounted to 70.1 +/- 5.8% of the ipsilateral hemisphere at the level of caudate-putamen.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Role of cortical spreading depressions for secondary brain damage after traumatic brain injury in mice

In recent years, several studies have unequivocally shown the occurrence of cortical spreading depressions (CSDs) after stroke and traumatic brain injury (TBI) in humans. The fundamental question, however, is whether CSDs cause or result from secondary brain damage. The aim of the current study was, therefore, to investigate the role of CSDs for secondary brain damage in an experimental model of TBI. C57/BL6 mice were traumatized by controlled cortical impact. Immediately after trauma, each animal showed one heterogeneous direct current (DC) potential shift accompanied by a profound depression of electroencephalogram (EEG) amplitude, and a temporary decrease of ipsi- and contralateral regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) suggesting bilateral CSDs. Within the next 3 h after TBI, CSDs occurred at a low frequency (0.38 CSD/h per animal, n = 7) and were accompanied by rCBF changes confined to the ipsilateral hemisphere. No significant relationship between the number of SDs and lesion size or intracranial pressure (ICP) could be detected. Even increasing the number of posttraumatic CSDs by application of KCl by more than six times did not increase ICP or contusion volume. We therefore conclude that CSDs may not contribute to posttraumatic secondary brain damage in the normally perfused and oxygenated brain.

Transient forebrain ischemia induces an immediate-early gene encoding the mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase 3CH134 in the adult rat brain

In fibroblasts, serum stimulation has been shown to activate the immediate-early gene 3CH134 encoding a dual specificity protein phosphatase that regulates mitogen-activated protein kinase. We report here that 3CH134 messenger RNA levels increase during recirculation following 30 min forebrain ischemia in the rat brain. In normal rat brains, 3CH134 messenger RNA was found mainly in neurons of the cortex and thalamus. At recirculation periods up to 1 h after 30 min ischemia, 3CH134 messenger RNA increased in neurons and glial cells of all previously ischemic brain regions. After 3 and 6 h recirculation, a prominent increase of 3CH134 messenger RNA was observed in the pyramidal cell layer of all sectors of the hippocampus and the granule cells of the dentate gyrus, whereas in the other brain regions messenger RNA levels returned to control. Up to 6 h of recirculation the spatial induction pattern of 3CH134 was similar to the pattern observed for the immediate-early genes c-fos and c-jun. Within the hippocampus a similar pattern was also observed for the heat shock protein hsp70 messenger RNA. At 12 and 24 h after ischemia, increased levels of 3CH134 messenger RNA persisted in hippocampal neurons; at the same time a delayed increase of 3CH134 messenger RNA was observed in large neurons of the thalamus and in glial cells in damaged regions of the striatum. At later survival periods, 3CH134 messenger RNA returned to control levels. Our study shows that the mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase 3CH134 is induced in the brain after a period of global ischemia.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Sulfated glycoprotein-2 mRNA in the rat brain following transient forebrain ischemia

Expression of sulfated glycoprotein-2 (SGP-2) mRNA was studied by in situ hybridization in rat brains submitted to transient forebrain ischemia of 30 min. Induction of this multifunctional protein has been previously observed following diverse types of brain lesions, and an involvement in programmed cell death and synaptic remodelling has been proposed. Ischemia was produced by four-vessel occlusion and followed by various recirculation times ranging from 15 min to 7 days. Up to 6 h after ischemia SGP-2 mRNA did not change in any brain region. After 12 h recirculation, SGP-2 mRNA induction was observed in the stratum lacunosum moleculare of CA1 sector of hippocampus. This induction peaked at 3 days recirculation and then declined. From 24 h recirculation onward, induction also occurred in patchy areas of the cortex, and after 7 days recirculation in the ventral thalamus and in a corona around lesioned parts of the striatum. No induction occurred at any recirculation time in pyramidal neurons of hippocampus or other neuronal populations that are damaged by ischemia. The combination of in situ hybridization with GFAP immunohistochemistry revealed that SGP-2 mRNA was mainly induced in reactive actrocytes. This excludes a direct involvement in ischemic neuronal death and supports the possible participation in the post-lesional reorganization of the tissue.

Dynamic imaging with T2* contrast using U-FLARE

Dynamic changes in T2* in the rat brain induced by the injection of Gd-DTPA are monitored using the U-FLARE sequence. Sensitivity to T2* is easily introduced into this sequence and may be freely varied. The images obtained display an adequate spatial resolution and contrast, for a temporal resolution of 1 s. Intensity-time curves and parametric images of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBV) are presented for three different blood pCO2 values. The results presented clearly demonstrate that U-FLARE is a viable method for dynamically measuring changes in T2*, and thus has application in imaging of both perfusion and functional activation.

Early changes in apparent diffusion coefficient of rat brain following total circulatory arrest

The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of rat brain was determined for the cortex [(771±23)×10−6 μm2/s] and caudate-putamen (CP) [(601±25)×10−6 μm2/s]. Using the ultrafast imaging technique U-FLARE changes in ADC were followed with a 2.4-min temporal resolution after the induction of total circulatory arrest by intravenous KC1 injection. For both tissue types, a biphasic decrease of ADC was observed. The initial fast phase led to an ADC decrease by (27±4)% (cortex) and (29±3)% (CP) within 5 min, whereas the slow continuous decrease of the second phase resulted in (68±3)% (cortex) and (66±3)% (CP) of control after 18 min. The similar relative reduction in ADC for the cortex and the CP meant that an effective distinction between both tissue types persisted after the cessation of systemic and cerebral blood flow.