Abstract
In order to examine a protective effect of neurotrophic factors to reduce ischemic brain damage, an adenovirus vector-mediated glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) gene (Ad-GDNF) was topically administered into the cerebral cortex before or after 90 min of transient middle cerebral artery occlusion in rat. Pretreatment of animals with Ad-GDNF 48 hr before the subsequent stroke effectively reduced infract volume without affecting regional cerebral blood flow, as well as effective even when administered after the stroke. We further found that the number of BrdU-labeled cells increased in dentate gyros of hippocampus and periventricular region at 3.7, and 10 days after 10 min of transient forebrain ischemia in gerbils. Expression of highly polysialylated neural cell adhesion molecule (PSA-NCAM) in mossy fiber of dentate granule cells in adult brain could be interesting in migration of stem cells. Activation of neural stem cell suggests a future potential against ischemic stroke as well as transplantation of stem cells.
