ABSTRACT
Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is the most common subtype of stroke with high disability and high mortality rates. Due to the hypertension with arteriosclerosis, hemopathy and cerebrovascular amyloidosis, the influx of blood from ruptured vessels into the brain destroys the cerebral parenchyma and results in dysfunction of central nervous system because of hematoma compression and a series of toxic metabolites. The cerebral parenchyma consists of gray and white matter. The white matter consists of myelinated axons and oligodendrocytes, whereas the gray matter consists of neuronal cell bodies and dendrites. Currently, most of studies have explored the mechanisms of gray matter injury. But researches of white matter injury (WMI) are still in their infancy, which may be partially responsible for the failure of treatments with neuroprotectants targeting degenerating neuronal cells. In recent years, researchers have progressively identified pathophysiological mechanisms of WMI after ICH including mass effect, neuroinflammation and oxidative stress, but information on the molecular mechanisms of WMI and its effective treatment remains limited. In this paper, we will describe the structure and function of white matter, summarize pathology of WMI and focus on the research advances in the molecular mechanisms and therapeutic strategies of WMI after ICH.
