ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To establish a new photomacrographic analysis of morphological changes on brain surface to evaluate blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Permanent focal cerebral ischemia was induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in mice. Brains were removed 10 min, 0.5, 1, 3, 6, 12 and 24 h after MCAO. The whole brains and brain slices were photographed by a digital camera. BBB disruption was evaluated by hemorrhage and traced Evans blue (EB) on the brain surface. Fluoremetric quantitation of EB and water content in the brains were also performed at various time points.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Photomacrographic morphological analysis showed that hemorrhage and traced EB on the surface of the brains significantly increased from 3 h after focal cerebral ischemia,which were correlated to the results in the brain slices. EB content in the ischemic hemispheres was significantly increased from 0.5 h after MCAO, and water content was increased from 1 h after MCAO.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Photomacrographic measurement is a simple and useful method for evaluating BBB disruption semi-quantitatively, and can detect BBB disruption earlier after focal cerebral ischemia in mice.</p>
Subject(s)
Animals , Male , Mice , Blood-Brain Barrier , Brain , Evans Blue , Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery , Mice, Inbred ICR , Photography , Time FactorsABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the relationship between basic expression level of NMDA receptor NR1 subunit protein in hippocampus and learning ability of rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Using a novel-object recognition model and Morris water maze,the novel-object recognition ability and spatial memory of SD rats were ranked, and grouped as the high (top 20 %) and the low (bottom 20%), respectively. NR1 subunit protein levels in hippocampus were measured by quantitative immunoblotting with NR1 subunit specific antibody.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The level of NR1 subunit protein in hippocampus in the high novel-object recognition ability group was 60% (P<0.01), higher than that in the low one, and in the high spatial memory group it was 45.4 % (P<0.05), higher than that in the low one, respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The basic expression level of NR1 subunit protein in hippocampus is related to novel-object recognition ability and spatial memory of rats.</p>
Subject(s)
Animals , Male , Rats , Hippocampus , Chemistry , Physiology , Immunoblotting , Learning , Maze Learning , Rats, Sprague-Dawley , Reaction Time , Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate , PhysiologyABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To establish a new macrophotographic measurement of brain surface area to evaluate brain edema after focal cerebral ischemia in mice.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Permanent focal cerebral ischemia was induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in mice. The brains were removed 10,30 min,1,3,6,12 and 24 h after MCAO, and photographed in dorsal and lateral views by a digital camera. Then, 6 coronal slices of 1 mm thick were cut and photographed. Finally, the water content of brain tissue was measured by heating at 110 degrees C for 24 h. The left and right hemisphere areas of the brains and the brain slices were analyzed and calculated by MedBrain 2 imaging analyzer to evaluate brain edema.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The macrophotographic measurement showed that the ischemic hemisphere areas significantly increased from 1 h after focal cerebral ischmia, which was similar to the measurement of water content. This measurement for brain edema correlated well with those of water content and brain slice volume.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The macrophotographic measurement is an objective and quantitative method for evaluating brain edema after focal cerebral ischemia.</p>