Biomedical subjects

R Hata

Publications and source records attributed to R Hata.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed1999

Diffusion- and perfusion-weighted MR imaging of transient focal cerebral ischaemia in mice.

Temporary focal ischaemia was induced in wild-type C57Black/6 mice by thread occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCA). Recirculation was started after 60 min and maintained for 24 h, after which the mouse brain was frozen in situ. Development of the cerebral infarct was monitored by diffusion-, perfusion- and T(2)-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) during ischaemia, during the early reperfusion period of 90 min, and at 24 h after reperfusion. Ischaemia caused a marked reduction of the perfusion signal intensity and of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of tissue water in the ipsilateral MCA territory. In sham-operated control animals ADC remained unchanged. Hemispheric lesion volume after 1 h MCA occlusion was 53 +/- 6% (n = 6), as defined by an ADC decrease of more than 20%. Recirculation reduced hemispheric lesion volume to only 27 +/- 13%, while there was a trend towards secondary lesion growth at 24 h. Post-ischaemic recovery of perfusion was slow, heterogeneous and incomplete. A region-of-interest analysis showed only partial and transient recovery of the ADC, particularly in the dorsolateral cortex and lateral caudate putamen, which may be explained by inadequate reperfusion in these regions. Detailed MRI studies of cerebral ischaemia and reperfusion may now also be performed in the transgenic mice.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

Regional metabolic disturbances and cerebrovascular anatomy after permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion in C57black/6 and SV129 mice.

C57Black/6 and SV129 mice are widely used for the production of transgenic mutants in molecular stroke research but the ischemic susceptibility of these strains is influenced by differences in vascular anatomy and the responsiveness to excitotoxins and vasodilatory stimuli. To differentiate between these opposing effects on infarct size, the vascular territory of the two strains was correlated with the hemodynamic, metabolic, and morphological consequences of permanent middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion. The vascular anatomy was studied by latex infusion, brain infarction by vital staining, the size of the ischemic penumbra by imaging of ATP and protein synthesis, and blood flow by laser-Doppler flowmetry. In C57Black/6 mice the MCA-supplied vascular territory and the size of brain infarcts were significantly larger than in SV129 mice but the size of the penumbra and the residual blood flow in the center of the MCA-supplying territory were similar in both strains. These findings suggest that differences in infarct size in C57Black/6 and SV129 mice are determined mainly by the vascular anatomy and not by differences in collateral vascular responsiveness or excitotoxicity.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

PubMed1999

Targeted disruption of the bcl-2 gene in mice exacerbates focal ischemic brain injury.

Neuronal death after brain ischemia is mainly due to necrosis but there is also evidence for involvement of apoptosis. To test the importance of apoptosis, we investigated the effect of targeted disruption of the apoptosis-suppressive gene bcl-2 on the severity of ischemic brain injury. Transient focal ischemia for 1 hour was induced by occlusion of the middle cerebral artery in homozygous (n=7) and heterozygous (n=6) bcl-2 knockout mice as well as in their wildtype littermates (n=5). Bcl-2 ablation did not influence cerebral blood flow but it significantly increased infarct size and neurological deficit score at 1 day after reperfusion in a gene-dose dependent manner. The exacerbation of tissue damage in the absence of Bcl-2 underscores the importance of apoptotic pathways for the manifestation of ischemic injury after transient vascular occlusion.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

Larger anastomoses in angiotensinogen-knockout mice attenuate early metabolic disturbances after middle cerebral artery occlusion.

Abnormalities in the homeostasis of the renin-angiotensin system have been implicated in the pathogenesis of vascular disorders, including stroke. The authors investigated whether angiotensinogen (AGN) knockout mice exhibit differences in brain susceptibility to focal ischemia, and whether such differences can be related to special features of the collateral circulation. Wild-type and AGN-knockout mice were submitted to permanent suture occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCA). The collateral vascular system was visualized by systemic latex infusion, and the ischemic lesions were identified by cresyl-violet staining. The core and penumbra of the evolving infarct were differentiated by bioluminescence and autoradiographic imaging of ATP and protein biosynthesis, respectively. In wild-type mice, mean arterial blood pressure was 95.0 +/- 8.6 mm Hg, and the diameter of fully relaxed anastomotic vessels between the peripheral branches of the anterior and middle cerebral arteries 26.6 +/- 4.0 microm. In AGN knockouts, mean arterial blood pressure was significantly lower, 71.5 +/- 8.5 mm Hg (P < .01), and the anastomotic vessels were significantly larger, 29.4 +/- 4.6 microm (P < .01). One hour after MCA occlusion, AGN-knockout mice exhibited a smaller ischemic core (defined as the region of ATP depletion) but a larger penumbra (the area of disturbed protein synthesis with preserved ATP). At 24 hours after MCA occlusion, this difference disappeared, and histologically visible lesions were of similar size in both strains. The observations show that in AGN-knockout mice the more efficient collateral blood supply delays ischemic injury despite the lower blood pressure. Pharmacologic suppression of angiotensin formation may prolong the therapeutic window for treatment of infarcts.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed1998

Delayed up-regulation of Zac1 and PACAP type I receptor after transient focal cerebral ischemia in mice.

The Zac1 gene encodes a zinc finger protein that regulates both apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in vitro. Furthermore, Zac1 protein seems to trans-activate the gene encoding the type I receptor for pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP). Northern blot analysis revealed high levels of Zac1 mRNA in the rodent brain. In the present study, we demonstrate by in situ hybridization histochemistry a progressive increase in Zac1 transcripts in the mouse brain from day 1 to day 3 following transient focal cerebral ischemia. Moreover, we observed an up-regulation of PACAP type I receptor mRNA expression showing a similar temporospatial distribution. Late induction of cell death promoting Zac1 in the post-ischemic brain may be attributed to delayed or secondary cell death. Co-induction of the type I receptor for neurotrophic PACAP however, points to a role in restorative processes.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

Differences in the cerebrovascular anatomy of C57black/6 and SV129 mice.

The vascular architecture of the brain of C57Black/6 and SV129 mice was studied following microvascular injection of carbon black stained latex. The dorsal brain surface was photographed to determine the number, diameter, and position of pial anastomotic vessels between the middle and anterior cerebral arteries. The mean number and diameter of anastomoses were not significantly different, but the line of anastomoses interconnecting the half way points of anastomotic vessels was located significantly closer to the midline in C57Black/6 mice, demonstrating that the middle cerebral artery had a larger vascular supplying territory than in SV129 mice. This explains the larger infarct volume previously reported in C57Black/6 mice, and raises concerns about the use of C57Black/6 and SV129 mice as parent strains for genetically modified animals in stroke research.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

Differential expression of c-fos and hsp72 mRNA in focal cerebral ischemia of mice.

The heterogeneity of c-fos and hsp72 mRNA expression during focal ischemia was studied in mice by combining in situ hybridization with metabolic imaging. Focal ischemia was produced by middle cerebral artery occlusion for 3 h. The infarct core and the penumbra were differentiated by regional ATP and cerebral protein synthesis (CPS) imaging. hsp72 mRNA expression was restricted to the ischemic penumbra, as defined by the dissociation between preserved ATP and suppressed CPS. c-fos mRNA was expressed not only in the penumbra but also in the peri-ischemic normal brain tissue in which both ATP and CPS were preserved. These data demonstrate a highly selective differential expression of immediate-early and stress-related genes in the peri-infarct surrounding which is explained by different mechanisms of gene induction.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

PubMed1998

High resolution MRI and MRS: a feasibility study for the investigation of focal cerebral ischemia in mice.

Combined NMR imaging and spectroscopy have been applied to mouse brain during focal cerebral ischemia. The present study evaluated the feasibility of NMR measurements on mice in order to fine-tune the sequences and experimental setup for systematic investigations on stroke including future studies on transgenic animals. The acquisition of high quality diffusion-weighted, perfusion-weighted, and T2-weighted images (DWI, PWI, T2-WI, respectively) is demonstrated and complemented by measurements of 1H volume-selective spectroscopy and spectroscopic imaging (SI). Despite the small volume of the mouse brain, a satisfactory signal-to-noise ratio can be achieved with reasonably short measurement times. C57black/6J mice with an average body weight of 25 g were studied using state-of-the-art NMR sequences at 4.7 T. After induction of focal cerebral ischemia, the lesion was found clearly distinguishable in all imaging techniques. The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) was reduced in the ischemic region, and an expansion of the affected volume was observed with ongoing ischemia time. In the H spectra of ischemic animals a distinct change in the concentrations of NAA and lactate was visible. This is the first report on both SI data and perfusion-weighted imaging on mouse brain. It is demonstrated that the perfusion deficit during ischemia can be well demarcated. The spatial resolution of changes in metabolite concentrations allows the clear differentiation of elevated lactate levels in ischemic brain tissue.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

Cell position-dependent reciprocal feedback regulation of type I collagen gene expression in cultured human skin fibroblasts.

In order to investigate possible cell positional effects on the gene expression of human dermal fibroblasts, the authors cultured the cells on non-coated polystyrene culture dishes, type I collagen-coated dishes, or collagen gels formed by type I collagen, or suspended them in type I collagen gels and measured collagen synthesis by the cells. The production rate of type I collagen was similar whether cells were cultured on non-coated polystyrene or on type I collagen-coated dishes, but it was suppressed significantly when the cells were placed within the collagen gel matrix. Time-dependent expression of genes for alpha 1 (I) and alpha 2 (I) collagen chains was measured by Northern blot analysis. A significant increase in mRNA levels for these chains was observed when the cells were cultured for three days on type I collagen-coated dishes or on collagen gels. On the other hand, a significant decrease in the mRNA levels was observed after 2 days and later, when the cells were cultured within type I collagen gel matrix. These results indicate that human dermal fibroblasts recognize their position on or in type I collagen (extracellular matrix) and respond by changing their expression patterns of type I collagen chain genes. The results of the kinetics of gene expression also suggest that upregulation and downregulation of type I collagen genes are controlled by different mechanisms.

Blotting, Northern↗

PubMed1998

Brainstem auditory evoked potentials during brainstem ischemia and reperfusion in gerbils.

To evaluate the reversibility of neural function in the brainstem following ischemia, we investigated the effect of transient brainstem ischemia on the brainstem auditory evoked potential in gerbils. Brainstem ischemia was produced by bilateral extracranial occlusion of vertebral arteries. Local cerebral blood flow was measured by quantitative autoradiography after 5 min of ischemia and was reduced to less than 3 ml/100 g per min in the pons and lower midbrain, indicating severe and reproducible brainstem ischemia. During brainstem ischemia, brainstem auditory evoked potential waveforms disappeared completely. After a brief ischemic insult (5 min), all four brainstem auditory evoked potential components recovered to normal. After longer ischemic insults (10-30 min), brainstem auditory evoked potential components never recovered to normal. Microtubule-associated protein 2 immunoreactivity revealed differential vulnerability of the acoustic relay nuclei in the brainstem. Neurons in the lateral lemniscus were most vulnerable, followed in order by neurons in the trapezoid body, the superior olive and the cochlear nucleus. We also demonstrated a close relationship between the reversibility of ischemia-induced changes on brainstem auditory evoked potential and ischemic lesions of these relay nuclei. These data may be useful for evaluating the therapeutic window of thrombolytic therapy during acute vertebrobasilar occlusion.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

A reproducible model of middle cerebral artery occlusion in mice: hemodynamic, biochemical, and magnetic resonance imaging.

A reproducible model of thread occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) was established in C57 Black/6J mice by matching the diameter of the thread to the weight of the animals. For this purpose, threads of different diameter (80 to 260 microns) were inserted into the MCA of animals of different weights (18 to 33 g), and the success of vascular occlusion was evaluated by imaging the ischemic territory on serial brain sections with carbon black. Successful occlusion of the MCA resulted in a linear relationship between body weight and thread diameter (r = 0.46, P < 0.01), allowing precise selection of the appropriate thread size. Laser-Doppler measurements of CBF, neurological scoring, and 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining confirmed that matching of animal weight and suture diameter produced consistent cerebral infarction. Three hours after MCA occlusion, imaging of ATP, tissue pH, and cerebral protein synthesis allowed differentiation between the central infarct core, in which ATP was depleted, and a peripheral penumbra with reduced protein synthesis and tissue acidosis but preserved ATP content. Perfusion deficits and ischemic tissue alterations could also be detected by perfusion- and diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging, demonstrating the feasibility of dynamic evaluations of infarct evolution. The use of multiparametric imaging techniques in this improved MCA occlusion model opens the way for advanced pathophysiological studies of stroke in gene-manipulated animals.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

PubMed1998

Attenuated c-fos mRNA induction after middle cerebral artery occlusion in CREB knockout mice does not modulate focal ischemic injury.

To elucidate the mechanism of ischemia-induced signal transduction in vivo, we investigated the effect of the targeted disruption of the alpha and delta isoforms of the cAMP-responsive element-binding protein (CREB) on c-fos and heatshock protein (hsp) 72 gene induction. Permanent focal ischemia was induced by occlusion of the middle cerebral artery of the CREB mutant mice (CREB(-/-), n = 5) and the wild-type mice (n = 6). Three hours after onset of ischemia, the neurologic score was assessed and pictorial measurements of ATP and cerebral protein synthesis (CPS) were carried out to differentiate between the ischemic core (where ATP is depleted), the ischemic penumbra (where ATP is preserved but CPS is inhibited), and the intact tissue (where both ATP and CPS are preserved). There were no significant differences in neurologic score or in ATP, pH, and CPS between the two groups, suggesting that the sensitivity of both strains to ischemia is the same. Targeted disruption of the CREB gene significantly attenuated c-fos gene induction in the periischemic ipsilateral hemisphere but had no effect on either c-fos or hsp72 mRNA expression in the penumbra. The observations demonstrate that CREB expression, despite its differential effect on c-fos, does not modulate acute focal ischemic injury.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

PubMed1996

Three-dimensional structure of extracellular matrix reversibly regulates morphology, proliferation and collagen metabolism of perisinusoidal stellate cells (vitamin A-storing cells).

The three-dimensional structure of the extracellular substratum was found to regulate reversibly the morphology, proliferation and collagen synthesis of perisinusoidal stellate cells (lipocytes, i.e. fat-storing 'Ito' cells). On non-coated polystyrene and type I collagen-coated culture dishes, the cells spread well and extended their cellular processes. On the surface of type I collagen gels, the cells gathered and formed a mesh-like structure. However, in type I collagen gel where the cells were surrounded by type I collagen three-dimensionally, the cells extended their fine cellular processes and resembled the star-shaped stellate cells seen in vivo. The cell proliferation was more prominent in culture dishes coated with type I collagen or in polystyrene culture dishes than on or in type I collagen gels. The collagen synthesis was affected in the same manner. These data indicate that the nature and the three-dimensional structure of the extracellular matrix (ECM) can regulate morphology, proliferation and functions of the perisinusoidal stellate cells. In order to examine the reversibility of these regulations, we liberated cultured cells with trypsin or with purified bacterial collagenase and re-seeded them onto or into each substratum. The cells changed their shape, rate of proliferation and collagen synthesis according to each new substratum. These results indicate that the three-dimensional structure of ECM reversibly regulates the morphology, proliferation rate and functions of the perisinusoidal stellate cells.

Adipocytes↗

PubMed1995

Localization of Fas antigen mRNA induced in postischemic murine forebrain by in situ hybridization.

The expression of mRNA for the Fas antigen, a membrane-associated protein mediating apoptosis, was localized by in situ hybridization histochemistry in murine brains following 30 min of global cerebral ischemia. Six hours following the ischemia, many labeled cells were detected anew throughout the brain. The hybridization was seen in the small neural cells and in the cells along the walls of the ventricles and vessels, and became undetectable 24 h following the ischemia. These results suggest that the Fas antigen is expressed in the neuron, glia and periventricular cells of the post-ischemic brain.

Animals↗

PubMed1995

Transfection of normal human skin fibroblasts with human alpha 1(I) and alpha 2(I) collagen gene constructs and evidence for their coordinate expression.

Type I collagen is composed of two alpha 1(I) chains and one alpha 2(I) chain that together form a unique triple helical structure. The genes for these chains are located on different chromosomes but their expression is tightly regulated. In order to investigate the mechanism of regulation of coordinate expression of these genes. I examined conditions for the efficient transfection of normal human skin fibroblasts with luciferase reporter gene constructs containing noncoding region of the first exon and the upper 500 base pairs sequence of the alpha 1(I) or alpha 2(I) gene. Expression ratio of these two reporter gene constructs was two to one, indicating these regions of alpha 1(I) and alpha 2(I) genes contain essential regulatory elements for the coordinate expression of alpha 1(I) and alpha 2(I) genes located on different chromosomes.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed1995

Therapeutic effect of bifemelane on unilateral cerebral ischemia in gerbils.

To examine the therapeutic effect of 4-(o-benzylphenoxy)-N-methylbutylamine hydrochloride (bifemelane) on neuronal ischemia-reperfusion injury, we evaluated the neurological score in gerbils subjected to unilateral common carotid occlusion. Using the neurological score method, we selected animals which showed stroke symptoms without seizures, because seizure activity can modify the neurological outcome. Just after the clip removal following 30 min of ischemia, 0.2 ml of either vehicle (0.9% saline, n = 10) or bifemelane (25 mg/kg, n = 10) was administered intraperitoneally. Then, the neurological score and the maximum inclination at which the gerbil could maintain its equilibrium were recorded at 5, 10, and 30 min, and 1, 2, 3, 6, and 24 hr after the insult. Animals were then decapitated and their brains were processed for immunohistochemical investigation. Treatment with bifemelane after reperfusion significantly improved the neurological score and motor function. Immunohistochemistry using an antibody for microtubule-associated protein 2 clearly demonstrated preservation of staining especially in the caudate-putamen in the animals treated with bifemelane. The present findings suggest a beneficial effect of bifemelane on neuronal ischemia-reperfusion injury, which may be common after cerebral ischemia.

Animals↗

PubMed1995

Increased F1/GAP-43 mRNA accumulation in gerbil hippocampus after brain ischemia.

To assess whether ischemia could induce GAP-43 mRNA expression, we performed in situ hybridization in gerbil brains that had been subjected to 5 min of global ischemia. In control dentate granule cells, little hybridization was detected in contrast to the intense signal generated by pyramidal neurons of the adult hippocampal formation. After ischemia, we detected a robust GAP-43 signal over hippocampal granule cells at 3 h of reperfusion, persisting through 7 days, and disappearing by 14 days. This demonstrated GAP-43 gene induction after ischemia, and suggests that GAP-43 may be involved in reactive events, including fiber sprouting and synaptic reorganization, that follow ischemia.

Animals↗

PubMed1994

Fas antigen mRNA induction in postischemic murine brain.

Fas antigen mRNA induction in the brain was examined using a transient global cerebral ischemia model in BALB/C mice. Northern blot analysis revealed little Fas antigen mRNA expression in the brains of sham-operated mice. A marked induction of Fas mRNA expression was detected in the brains of mice 6 h after 30 min of cerebral ischemia. These results suggest a possible apoptotic mechanism for cell death, mediated by the Fas antigen, in postischemic brain.

Animals↗