ABSTRACT
<p><b>AIM</b>To study the expression of leptin receptor (OB-R) and neuronal damage following focal ischemia/reperfusion in rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>20 adult male Wistar rats were divided into four groups randomly: sham-operated 24 h,72 h control group and ischemic/reperfusion 24 h, 72 h experiment group. Focal ischemia/reperfusion model was made with MCAO. Immunohistochemistry and immunoelectron microscope were used to observe the expression of OB-R of the cortex and neuronal damage.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The positive cells of OB-R were found in pyramidal cells of the parietal cortex, choroid plexus and blood vessel endothelium. Compared with sham-operated group, significant reduction of OB-R positive cells in the pyramidal cells was observed in the ischemia/reperfusion rats 24 hours after cerebral ischemia (P < 0.05). The positive cells of OB-R of sham-operated 72 h group reduced further (P < 0.01). Histochemistry and electron microscope showed neuronal damage in the core area of cerebral ischemia in the late period was more obvious than in the early period.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The early and delayed ischemia/reperfusion neuronal damage were accompanied with reduction of OB-R expression. Thus, it is worth to study the effect of OB-R in cerebral ischemia.</p>