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Post-occlusion treatment with BDNF reduces infarct size in a model of permanent occlusion of the middle cerebral artery in rat

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Abstract

In view of the protective effect of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) against metabolic/excitotoxic insultsin vitro, we investigated whether BDNF could limit infarct size after permanent occlusion of the middle cerebral artery in rat (MCAO). BDNF was delivered into the territory of the middle cerebral artery via an osmotic mini-pump (1 μg/h). Infusion of BDNF was started shortly after MCAO, and 24 h later brains were removed for infarct volume determination. Intraoperative and postoperative measurements of physiological variables revealed no differences among vehicle-treated and BDNF-infused animals. However, we found a 33% reduction in total infarct volume in BDNF-treated animals (p<0.05), and a 37% reduction in cortical infarct volume (p<0.05).

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Abbreviations

BDNF:

brain derived neurotrophic factor

BSA:

bovine serum albumin

MCAO:

middle cerebral artery occlusion

PBS:

phosphate buffered saline

TUNEL:

terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase

UTP:

nick end labeling

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Author notes

  1. Katsuhiro Yamashita

    Present address: Department of Neurosurgery, Yamaguchi University School of Medicine, 1144, Kogushi, Yamaguchi, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. for Experimental Neurology, Max-Planck-Institute for Neurological Research, Gleueler Str. 50, D-50931, Köln, Germany

    Katsuhiro Yamashita, Christoph Wiessner & Konstantin-Alexander Hossmann

  2. Department of Neurochemistry, Max-Planck-Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany

    Dan Lindholm & Hans Thoenen

  3. Deparment of Developmental Neuroscience, Uppsala, Sweden

    Dan Lindholm

  4. Novartis Pharma Inc., Basel, Switzerland

    Christoph Wiessner

Authors
  1. Katsuhiro Yamashita
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  2. Christoph Wiessner
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  3. Dan Lindholm
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  4. Hans Thoenen
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  5. Konstantin-Alexander Hossmann
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Yamashita, K., Wiessner, C., Lindholm, D. et al. Post-occlusion treatment with BDNF reduces infarct size in a model of permanent occlusion of the middle cerebral artery in rat. Metab Brain Dis 12, 271–280 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02674671

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02674671

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