ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of intravenous infusion of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in a permanent ischemia model at the subacute phase (2 weeks) as well as at 24 hours and 1 week using T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The middle cerebral artery (MCA) in Sprague-Dawley rats was occluded using an intraluminal suture method. The rats were randomly divided into 2 groups to receive either bFGF (45 mircrog/kg/hr) or saline solution. The infusion was started 30 minutes after MCA occlusion (MCAO) and continued for 3 hours. Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was measured using laser Doppler flowmetry throughout the infusion. T2-weighted MRI was carried out before MCAO, 24 hours after MCAO, and days 7 and 14 after MCAO. Although an elevation in rCBF was seen after the infusion, no significant change between the groups was observed. A significant difference between the bFGF and saline groups in T2-derived lesion volume was observed at 24 hours (P < .05), on day 7 (P < .05), and on day 14 (P < .01). The percentage of lesion area calculated from the ipsilateral hemisphere using hematoxylin and eosin staining on day 14 showed a significant difference between the bFGF and saline groups (P < .05). No significant change in the number of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU)-labeled cells between the groups was observed. This study demonstrates that bFGF, infused intravenously starting 30 minutes after the induction of permanent MCAO, significantly reduces region volume even at day 14, as well as at days 1 and 7, compared with the corresponding saline group.
ABSTRACT
The maturity of pericytes in cerebral neocapillaries induced by two different growth factors: basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), was examined using an immunohistochemical staining technique. Cerebral angiogenesis was induced in mice by implanting a sandwich system of bFGF/PDGF gel and nylon-mesh over the exposed cortex. On 28th day after incubation, a small volume of cerebral tissue with the nylon-mesh was isolated and stained using tetramethyl rhodamine isothiocyanate (TRITC)-labeled secondary antibody to the primary antibody against NG_2 proteoglycan and fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled Griffonia simplicifolia (GS)-lectin. Using a confocal laser microscopic system, we observed the cerebral neocapillaries on the upper surface of the nylon-mesh and evaluated the maturity of pericytes stained with NG_2 based on the fluorescence immunohistological images. The pericyte appeared rich in neocapillaries induced by PDGF. It was suggested that pericytes might play a key role in the regulation of blood flow in neovessels.
