Abstract

Changes of Growth Factor Family Genes Expressions in the Striatum Following the Dominant Hemisphere Ischemia in Rats

Author(s): Hai-yan Cai, Changxin Geng, Jian-ying Tian,Huanmin Gao

Abstract

Rationale

Handiness of the human implies the asymmetry in the brain. Asymmetry in the human brain denotes the dominant hemisphere has more elaborate and complicated functions, therefore, the ischemic injuries in the dominant hemisphere usually yield more serious clinical problems than that in the non-dominant hemisphere. The mechanism of the heavier ischemic injury in the dominant hemisphere has not been yet known thoroughly, especially at the genetic level; the specific gene expression pattern following the dominant hemisphere ischemia has not yet been reported.

Objectives

In this study it was to investigate the trend of gene expression in the striatum after the dominant hemisphere ischemia in the rats.

Methods

Behavioral tests were used to select 24 right-handed Wistar rats, and the dominant hemisphere ischemic model was archived by the left middle cerebral artery occlusion/ reperfusion (MCAO). 8000 dots gene chip was used to analyze the changes of gene expression profiles in the striatum. In situ hybridization was used to confirm the gene expression and immunohistochemistry stain to find the downstream protein expression of target gene.

Results

There was a lot of lower Expressed Sequence Tag (EST) both in the ischemia group and in the sham. A total of 4286 EST differentially expressed with the density value more than 800 and the ratio of Cy3/Cy5 >2.0. There were 368 EST with density value more than 800 and the ratio of Cy3/Cy5 <0.5 revealed higher expression and 79 EST lower expression in the ischemia group. Growth factors family genes lower expressed but individual genes higher expressed. Gene expressions in the striatum in the dominant hemisphere ischemia group were lower than that of the non-dominant hemisphere ischemia group significantly (p<0.05).

Conclusion

The results mentioned above suggested that growth factors family gene expression in the dominant hemisphere ischemic striatum were lower than that of non-dominant hemisphere, cerebral ischemia in the dominant hemisphere produced sever injury at gene expression level.