Vascular endothelial growth factor induces contralesional corticobulbar plasticity and functional neurological recovery in the ischemic brain.
Acta Neuropathol
; 123(2): 273-84, 2012 Feb.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-22109109
ABSTRACT
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a potent angiogenic factor, which also has neuroprotective activity. In view of these dual actions on vessels and neurons, we were interested whether VEGF promotes long distance axonal plasticity in the ischemic brain. Herein, we show that VEGF promotes neurological stroke recovery in mice when delivered in a delayed way starting 3 days after middle cerebral artery occlusion. Using anterograde tract-tracing experiments that we combined with histochemical and molecular biological studies, we demonstrate that although VEGF promoted angiogenesis predominantly in the ischemic hemisphere, pronounced axonal sprouting was induced by VEGF in the contralesional, but not the ipsilesional corticobulbar system. Corticobulbar plasticity was accompanied by the deactivation of the matrix metalloproteinase MMP9 in the lesioned hemisphere and the transient downregulation of the axonal growth inhibitors NG2 proteoglycan and brevican and the guidance molecules ephrin B1/2 in the contralesional hemisphere. The regulation of matrix proteinases, growth inhibitors, and guidance molecules offers insights how brain plasticity is controlled in the ischemic brain.
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Isquemia Encefálica
/
Recuperação de Função Fisiológica
/
Infarto da Artéria Cerebral Média
/
Fator A de Crescimento do Endotélio Vascular
/
Plasticidade Neuronal
Tipo de estudo:
Prognostic_studies
Limite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Acta Neuropathol
Ano de publicação:
2012
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Alemanha