Influence of pigment epithelium-derived factor on outcome after striatal cerebral ischemia in the mouse

PLoS One. 2014 Dec 3;9(12):e114595. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0114595. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

We here suggest that pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) does not have an effect on lesion size, behavioral outcome, cell proliferation, or cell death after striatal ischemia in the mouse. PEDF is a neurotrophic factor with neuroprotective, antiangiogenic, and antipermeability effects. It influences self-renewal of neural stem cells and proliferation of microglia. We investigated whether intraventricular infusion of PEDF reduces infarct size and cell death, ameliorates behavioral outcome, and influences cell proliferation in the one-hour middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) mouse model of focal cerebral ischemia. C57Bl6/N mice were implanted with PEDF or artificial cerebrospinal fluid (control) osmotic pumps and subjected to 60-minute MCAO 48 hours after pump implantation. They received daily BrdU injections for 7 days after MCAO in order to investigate cell proliferation. Infarct volumes were determined 24 hours after reperfusion using magnetic resonance imaging. We removed the pumps on day 5 and performed behavioral testing between day 7 and 21. Immunohistochemical staining was performed to determine the effect of PEDF on cell proliferation and cell death. Our model produced an ischemic injury confined solely to striatal damage. We detected no reduction in infarct sizes and cell death in PEDF- vs. CSF-infused MCAO mice. Behavioral outcome and cell proliferation did not differ between the groups. However, we cannot exclude that PEDF might work under different conditions in stroke. Further studies will elucidate the effect of PEDF treatment on cell proliferation and behavioral outcome in moderate to severe ischemic injury in the brain.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Corpus Striatum / pathology
  • Drug Evaluation, Preclinical
  • Eye Proteins / administration & dosage*
  • Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / metabolism*
  • Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / pathology
  • Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / psychology
  • Male
  • Maze Learning
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Nerve Growth Factors / administration & dosage*
  • Neuroprotective Agents / administration & dosage*
  • Recovery of Function
  • Serpins / administration & dosage*

Substances

  • Eye Proteins
  • Nerve Growth Factors
  • Neuroprotective Agents
  • Serpins
  • pigment epithelium-derived factor

Grants and funding

This work has been supported by the Charité-Rahel-Hirsch-Grant and the BCRT flexible funds to ALP. MZ was supported by a fellowship granted by the Stiftung der Deutschen Wirtschaft (Foundation of German Business). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.