The protective effects of plasma gelsolin on stroke outcome in rats

We induced middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in male rats via intracranial injection of endothelin-1 (ET-1), a potent vasoconstrictor, and then treated with local delivery of pGSN. Whole brain laser Doppler perfusion imaging was performed through the skull to assess MCAO effectiveness. Cylinder and vibrissae tests evaluated sensorimotor function before and 72 h after MCAO. Infarct volumes were examined 72 h after MCAO via 2, 3, 5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) assay.Estimates of relative cerebral perfusion were significantly decreased in all groups receiving MCAO with no differences detected between treatments. Despite equivalent initial strokes, the infarct volume of the pGSN treatment group was significantly reduced compared with the untreated MCAO rats at 72 h. ET-1 induced significant deficits in both cylinder and vibrissae tests while pGSN significantly limited these deficits.Gelsolin could be a promising drug for protection against neurodegeneration following ischemic stroke.Stroke or brain attack occurs when the blood supply to the brain is interrupted, usually because a blood vessel is blocked by a clot or loses structural integrity permitting hemorrhage. The disease is not subject to a particular race or ethnic group [1]. In 2009, 795, 000 strokes occurred in the United States, i.e. a stroke occurs once every 40 seconds and a death occurs every 4 minutes [2]. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the total cost of stroke was $68.9 billion and the number is expected to rise. Of all strokes, 87% are ischemic [2]. Currently, recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) is the only FDA-approved therapeutic agent for ischemic stroke. rtPA is effective only if intravenously administered within 3 to 4.5 h of stroke onset, and can have adverse neurotoxic effects even with proper use [3]. The drug can only be used within a narrow time window after a stroke begins and only about two percent of stroke patients are able to acc