0000000000248434
AUTHOR
Rainer Kollmar
The hematopoietic factor G-CSF is a neuronal ligand that counteracts programmed cell death and drives neurogenesis.
G-CSF is a potent hematopoietic factor that enhances survival and drives differentiation of myeloid lineage cells, resulting in the generation of neutrophilic granulocytes. Here, we show that G-CSF passes the intact blood-brain barrier and reduces infarct volume in 2 different rat models of acute stroke. G-CSF displays strong anti-apoptotic activity in mature neurons and activates multiple cell survival pathways. Both G-CSF and its receptor are widely expressed by neurons in the CNS, and their expression is induced by ischemia, which suggests an autocrine protective signaling mechanism. Surprisingly, the G-CSF receptor was also expressed by adult neural stem cells, and G-CSF induced neurona…
A new model of thromboembolic stroke in the posterior circulation of the rat
The prognosis of vertebrobasilar occlusion is grave and therapeutic options are limited. The aim of the present study was to develop a new model of embolic hindbrain ischemia in the rat that closely resembles the clinical situation and that can be used to study pathophysiology and treatment options. After thoracotomy in 20 male Wistar rats, 15 animals received an injection of in vitro prepared autologous blood clots into the left vertebral artery. Five animals without clot injection served as controls. Neurological deficits were assessed in all animals 2 h after embolism. After 2 h, five animals were sacrificed to measure cerebral blood flow (CBF) by iodo-antipyridine autoradiography, and t…