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Cortical and putamen age-related changes in the microvessel density and astrocyte deficiency in spontaneously hypertensive and stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats

Ritz, Marie-Françoise and Fluri, Felix and Engelter, Stefan T. and Schaeren-Wiemers, Nicole and Lyrer, Philippe A.. (2009) Cortical and putamen age-related changes in the microvessel density and astrocyte deficiency in spontaneously hypertensive and stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats. Current neurovascular research, Vol. 6, H. 4. pp. 279-287.

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Official URL: http://edoc.unibas.ch/dok/A5844604

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Abstract

Cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) is a major contributor to dementia in the elderly, and hypertension represents a major cause for developing the disease. However, little is known about its development and progression. Modifications of large cerebral arteries due hypertension are thought to participate to the development of small ischemic infarcts, but the status of the small vessels before the establishment of hypertension is not well defined. Using spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and stroke-prone SHR (SP-SHR) as a models for SVD, we analysed the effect of hypertension on the microvasculature in the cortex and putamen, and on its relationship with astrocytes in animals aged 2 to 9 months. Compared with the normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY), the densities of the collagen type IV-positive capillaries were significantly higher in both brain areas of young SHR and SP-SHR. In contrast, the expression of the astrocytic marker GFAP was significantly lower in these animals, whereas astrogliosis was observed after 6 months in their cortex only. To investigate if chronic hypoxia occurs due to the lower number of astrocytes in young SHR and SP-SHR, we evaluated the levels of HIF-1alpha in both brain regions. The accumulation of HIF-1alpha was not observed at the youngest ages, but was apparent in neurons of 9-month-old SHR and SP-SHR. Our results indicate that the brains of young SHR and SP-SHR rats show evidence of cellular imbalance between microvessels and astrocytes at the neurovascular unit that may lead to their higher vulnerability to hypoxic events at older ages.
Faculties and Departments:03 Faculty of Medicine > Departement Biomedizin > Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel > Neurobiology (Schaeren-Wiemers)
03 Faculty of Medicine > Bereich Medizinische Fächer (Klinik) > Neurologie
03 Faculty of Medicine > Departement Klinische Forschung > Bereich Medizinische Fächer (Klinik) > Neurologie
UniBasel Contributors:Engelter, Stefan and Schaeren-Wiemers, Nicole
Item Type:Article, refereed
Article Subtype:Research Article
Publisher:Bentham Science Publ.
Note:Publication type according to Uni Basel Research Database: Journal article
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Last Modified:24 May 2013 09:21
Deposited On:24 May 2013 09:01

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