The behavior of the extracellular matrix and the basal lamina during the repair of cryogenic injury in the adult rat cerebral cortex

Correlation Between Extravasation and Alterations of Cerebrovascular Laminin and β-Dystroglycan Immunoreactivity Following Cryogenic Lesions in Rats

The blood-brain barrier becomes "leaky" following lesions. Former studies revealed that following lesions the immunoreactivity of cerebrovascular laminin becomes detectable whereas that of β-dystroglycan disappears. These alterations may be indicators of glio-vascular decoupling that may result in the impairment of the blood-brain-barrier. This study investigates correlation between the post-lesion extravasation and the above-mentioned immunohistochemical alterations. Following cryogenic lesions, the survival periods lasted 5, 10, 30 minutes, 1 or 12 hours, or 1 day. Some brains were fixed immediately post-lesion. Immunofluorescent reactions were performed in floating sections. The extravasation was detected with immunostaining for plasma fibronectin and rat immunoglobulins. When the survival period was 30 minutes or longer, the area of extravasation corresponded to the area of altered laminin and β-dystroglycan immunoreactivities. Following immediate fixation some laminin immunoreactivity was already detected. The extravasation seemed to precede this early appearance of laminin immunoreactivity. The β-dystroglycan immunoreactivity disappeared later. When the extravasation spread into the corpus callosum, vascular laminin immunoreactivity appeared but the β-dystroglycan immunoreactivity persisted. It seems that extravasation separates the glial and vascular basal laminae, which results in the appearance of laminin immunoreactivity. The disappearance of β-dystroglycan immunoreactivity is neither a condition nor an inevitable consequence of the 2 other phenomena.

Adhesion to the extracellular matrix is required for interleukin-1 beta actions leading to reactive phenotype in rat astrocytes

The extracellular matrix (ECM) of the brain is essential for homeostasis and normal functions, but is rapidly remodelled during acute brain injury alongside the development of an inflammatory response driven by the cytokine interleukin (IL)-1. Whether the ECM regulates IL-1 actions in astrocytes is completely unknown. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that cellular attachment to the ECM is a critical mediator of IL-1beta-induced signalling pathways and development of reactive phenotype in astrocytes. Primary rat astrocytes adhered to fibronectin, laminin and fibrillin-1 in an integrin-dependent manner. Attachment to these ECM molecules significantly increased IL-1beta-induced activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and inhibition of RhoA and Rho kinase (ROCK), coincident with loss of focal adhesions and cellular morphological changes. Our data demonstrate that the ECM regulates IL-1 actions in astrocytes via cross-talk mechanisms between ERK1/2 and RhoA/ROCK, which could have important implications in brain inflammatory disorders.

Fibronectin and Laminin Increase in the Mouse Brain after Controlled Cortical Impact Injury

The complex environment of the traumatically injured brain exhibits aspects of inhibition and ongoing cell death together with attempts at repair and regeneration. Elucidating these events and exploiting those factors involved in endogenous repair and regeneration may aid in developing more effective treatments for traumatic brain injury. Two extracellular matrix proteins critical to neural development--fibronectin and laminin--may also play a protective or reparative role in the injury response. While both of these proteins have been found to increase following human brain injury,the presence of these proteins has not been studied in a clinically-relevant animal model of blunt head trauma. In this study, we examined the spatiotemporal profile of both fibronectin and laminin in the mouse brain following controlled cortical impact injury. Fibronectin and laminin reactivity was localized to the injury penumbra up to 14 days post-injury and was significantly higher than uninjured controls at 3 days post-injury. Upon examining the spatial relationship of fibronectin and laminin to support cells, we found macrophages/activated microglia prominently present in the fibronectin-rich tissue, consistent with a role for fibronectin in facilitating debris clearing. Furthermore, reactive astrocyte processes were found sheathing laminin positive vasculature, suggesting that laminin may play a role in repairing the blood-brain barrier. These and other hypothesized reparative roles for fibronectin and laminin after traumatic brain injury are discussed.

Debris of "dark" (compacted) neurones are removed from an otherwise undamaged environment mainly by astrocytes via blood vessels

By means of a condenser-discharge electric shock paradigm, "dark" granule neurones were momentarily produced in a sporadic distribution among normal ones in the otherwise undamaged (non-necrotic, non-excitotoxic, non-inflammatory or non-contused) hippocampal dentate gyri of the rat brain. In the electron microscope, the ultrastructural elements of the affected neurones remained undamaged but turned markedly electron-dense and the distances between them became strikingly reduced (compaction). A proportion of such neurones recovered in 1 day while others died. During the first week of survival, the dead "dark" granule neurones retained the compacted and electron-dense ultrastructure, but underwent cytoplasmic convolution and fragmentation. The fragments were enclosed by membranes and separated from each other and from the intact neuropil by astrocytic processes containing an excess of glycogen particles. Neither proliferation of microglial cells nor infiltration of haematogenous macrophages was observed. A few fragments were taken over by resting microglial cells, while the majority was engulfed by astrocytes. The latter transported the engulfed fragments, either unchanged or digested to various degrees, to capillaries, arterioles and venules. Thereafter, the astrocyte-engulfed neuronal fragments, as well as their partly or completely digested remnants, were either transferred to phagocytotic pericytes or discharged into vascular lumina.

Heterologous expression of human VEGF165 in rat brain: dose-dependent, heterogeneous effects on CBF in relation to vascular density and cross-sectional area

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) induces increased vessel permeability and formation of abnormal vessels. To investigate cerebral blood flow (CBF) during local overexpression of VEGF recombinant adenoviruses carrying the human VEGF165 complementary DNA (2.3 to 23. 108 pfu/mL) were injected stereotactically into the caudate nucleus of anesthetized rats. Saline and adenoviruses carrying the beta-galactosidase gene served as controls. Eleven days later (1) size and density of vessels were assessed in hematoxylin-eosin-stained sections, (2) vascular permeability was measured by intravenous Evans blue injections, and (3) local CBF (lCBF) was quantified using the iodo-[14C]antipyrine technique. Dose-dependent increases were found in (1) vessel density and size (only vessels >43 microm could be quantified morphologically), (2) Evans blue extravasation and brain edema formation, and (3) lCBF (up to eightfold). At medium doses, hyperemic areas and smaller areas of decreased lCBF were found. In low flow areas, vascular cross-sectional areas were increased 223-fold and vessel density up to 10-fold. In high flow areas, these parameters were increased 32-fold and up to 15-fold, respectively. Adenovirus mediated VEGF overexpression results in (1) increased vessel size and density, (2) areas of increased and of decreased flow, and (3) more and smaller vessels in high flow than in low flow areas. These results indicate a diverging flow pattern of newly formed vessels.

Measles virus antigen in macrophage/microglial cells and astrocytes of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis

In two patients with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) of 10 and 25 months duration we demonstrated by immunohistochemistry the presence of measles-virus nucleocapsid antigen (MVNA) in CD68+ cells and astrocytes of brain tissues. In both cases, CD68+ hematogenous monocyte/ macrophages and perivascular microglial cells (Mphi) were found infiltrating the brain parenchyma, and often partially or completely invested by perivascular reactive astrocytes expressing glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Mphi with cytoplasmic MVNA were often seen in the Virchow-Robin spaces and in close association with perivascular astrocytes, which often also contained MVNA+ intracytoplasmic inclusions. Reactive astrocytosis was more severe in the patient with long-standing illness, and a correspondingly elevated number of strongly GFAP+ MVNA+ or MVNA- perivascular binucleated astrocytes was observed. An uptake of MVNA+ cell debris by reactive astrocytes was evident in areas of white matter displaying extensive demyelination and necrosis. Taken together, these observations seem to indicate that the brain infiltration by Mphi carrying measles virus could represent one pathway of virus entry and dissemination in the central nervous system. Virus transfer to perivascular astrocytes via cell-to-cell contacts with infected macrophages is also suggested.

Growth retardation of Mato's fluorescent granular perithelial (FGP) cells in scavenger receptor knockout (SRKO) mice

BACKGROUND

Mato's fluorescent granular perithelial (FGP) cells are situated between the basal lamina of cerebral microvessels and the glia limitans covering astrocytic processes. Because they are potent enough to take up endo- and exogenous substances in a steady state, they are regarded as scavenger cells in the central nervous system. The scavenger receptor for oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is also expressed on their cytoplasmic membrane. We studied the differentiation and growth of FGP cells in wild-type and scavenger receptor knockout (SRKO) mice.

METHODS

Wild-type (129 strain) and SRKO mice at 1, 3, 5, 8, 10, 14, and 28 days after birth were employed in this study. Stretch specimens of their cerebral cortices were used for immunohistochemical investigations, and Epon-embedded specimens of the same region were studied with an electron microscope.

RESULTS

In wild-type mice, perivascular cells derived from the pial tissue were transformed at approximately 8 days after birth into the FGP cells, which, provided with several epitopes common to macrophage lineages, developed over a period of 14 days. The FGP cells possessed several inclusions and were surrounded by two defined sheets of basal lamina and continuous glia limitans. At 4 weeks, their morphology, enzymatic activity, and epitopes advanced with the aging of the mice. However, in SRKO mice, at 8 days, the perivascular cells took fibroblastoid forms with scarce lysosomal inclusions, and, even at 14 days, glia limitans remained discontinuous and most of FGP cells remained immature in their cytoplasmic organelles. Different from the case with the wild-type, the intensity of the labeling of epitopes remained at a low level. At 4 weeks, some of the FGP cells fell into degeneration, and the others were differentiated to a certain degree.

CONCLUSIONS

The development of Mato's FGP cells in SRKO mice was retarded in the morphology, enzyme activity, and epitopes. The scavenger receptor, which reacted with the antibody 2F8, seems to be closely associated with the development of Mato's FGP cells.

Laminins in the adult and aged brain

Only recently have we become aware of the diversity of laminins in adult brain. In vascular basement membranes, the expression of at least five laminin chains has been demonstrated, suggesting the presence of several laminin variants. Recent ultrastructural evidence for heterogeneity of laminin expression in vascular basement membranes is an exciting finding, and points to structural and functional diversity of the basement membranes around cerebral blood vessels. Neuronal laminin-like immunoreactivity in the adult brain is a consistent observation, but does not fit well in the current understanding of the physiology and biochemistry of the heterotrimeric laminins. Nevertheless, the unique localization of putative neuronal laminins warrants their further characterization. The structure and function of laminins produced by reactive astrocytes in the lesioned adult brain and that seen in the brains of Alzheimer disease (AD) patients are not yet resolved. The possibility that these laminins play an important role in the CNS response to injury and pathophysiology of AD is expected to be a fruitful investigation. The next decade should see very significant advances in the characterization of brain laminins and, hopefully, in the elucidation of functional correlates to the structural diversity of laminins in brain.

Some unusual responses of astrocytes to ghost tangles in a long duration case of juvenile Alzheimer's disease: an electron microscopic study

The ghost tangles (GTs) in usual Alzheimer's disease are separated into small bundles of abnormal straight filaments by many invading astrocytic processes lacking a basal lamina (BL). An electron microscopic study of GTs in the Ammon's horn of a case of juvenile Alzheimer's disease of 25 years' duration, however, revealed that only a small number of astrocytic processes had infiltrated the GTs, resulting in the GTs being composed of large bundles. Moreover, the majority of glial processes that had invaded or apposed GTs possessed an interrupted but still fairly well-developed BL with hemidesmosome-like profiles. Although pia-arachnoid cells are required for astrocytes to form a continuous BL, astrocytes can have a segmental BL on their surface facing even empty intercellular spaces within the brain parenchyma. The much greater frequency and better development of the GT-associated BL in our case indicate that the GT filaments somehow increased the ability of astrocytes to form a BL. On the other hand, the scarcity of GT-invading astrocytic processes implies that many of the glial processes that had once penetrated GTs had been withdrawn, with the result that GTs escaped expectable endocyto-phagocytosis by astrocytes.

On the significance of brain extracellular uric acid detected with in-vivo monitoring techniques: a review

The concentration of uric acid [UA] in the extracellular fluid (ECF) estimated with in-vivo voltammetry and microdialysis data is compared for probes of different diameters from the day of implantation (acute) to several days (chronic) or even months after surgery. For small probes (diameter < 160 microns) the acute [UA] of ca. 5 microM decreased significantly to ca. 1 microM under chronic conditions. For larger probes (e.g., 320-microns diameter) the acute [UA] was also ca. 5 microM, but this value significantly increased to ca. 50 microM under chronic conditions. Associated with this difference in [UA], there were parallel differences in the extent of gliosis around the probes. These findings are discussed in terms of possible sources of extracellular UA and their implications for in-vivo monitoring techniques in behaving animals.

The use of transplanted glial cells to reconstruct glial environments in the CNS

Transplantation studies have demonstrated that glia-depleted areas of the CNS can be reconstituted by the introduction of cultured cells. Thus, the influx of Schwann cells into glia-free areas of demyelination in the spinal cord can be prevented by the combined introduction of astrocytes and cells of the O-2A lineage. Although Schwann cell invasion of areas of demyelination is associated with destruction of astrocytes, the transplantation of rat tissue culture astrocytes ("type-1") alone cannot suppress this invasion, indicating a role for cells of the O-2A lineage in reconstruction of glial environments. By transplanting different glial cell preparations and manipulating lesions so as to prevent meningeal cell and Schwann cell proliferation it is possible to demonstrate that the behaviour of tissue culture astrocytes ("type-1") and astrocytes derived from O-2A progenitor cells ("type-2") is different. In the presence of meningeal cells, tissue culture astrocytes clump together to form cords of cells. In contrast, type-2 astrocytes spread throughout glia-free areas in a manner unaffected by the presence of meningeal cells or Schwann cells. Thus, progenitor-derived astrocytes show a greater ability to fill glia-free areas than tissue culture astrocytes. Similarly, when introduced into infarcted white matter in the spinal cord, progenitor-derived astrocytes fill the malacic area more effectively than tissue culture astrocytes, although axons do not regenerate into the reconstituted area.

Distribution of extravasated serum protein after cryoinjury in neonatal and adult rat brains

The sequelae of cryoinjury to unilateral cerebral cortex were compared in neonatal and adult rats. In neonatal rats, immunostaining for autologous albumin disclosed a wide spread of extravasated albumin in both hemispheres on day 1 and rapid clearance from the tissue by day 7, whereas in adults rats, the distribution of albumin had progressively increased by day 7 and was then restricted to the injury site by day 14. Horseradish peroxidase tracing revealed a leakage of serum proteins by day 3 in neonates and by day 7 in adults. The rapid clearance of serum proteins from the neonatal brain tissue appeared to be promoted by vimentin-positive radial glia in the subpial and periventricular regions. A possible causal relationship between the rapid clearance of serum proteins and unique outcome of the cryoinjury in the neonatal brain is discussed.

Role of the basement membrane in neurogenesis and repair of injury in the central nervous system

Although remarkable progress has been made during the last two decades concerning the biosynthesis, expression and assembly of extracellular matrix (ECM) macromolecules in nonneural cells, we are still far from a complete understanding of the role and function of the ECM and the basement membrane (BM) in the central nervous system (CNS). With the aid of correlative light and electron microscopic, Golgi and immunohistochemical studies of the developing neural tube of both early human fetus and mouse, we have shown that the establishment of the pial-glial barrier (PGB) is one of the earliest histogenetic events in neurogenesis. This is accomplished by coordinated interaction among the processes of radial glia, various ECM components, and mesenchymal cells at the pial surface, with the formation of a BM that tightly abuts the glia limitans. The PGB and the BM appear to be critical to the migration and final positioning of neurons and to the differentiation of the laminar cortical pattern within the developing neopallium. This hypothesis is further supported by our study of the brain of a human newborn infant in whom multiple sites of disruption of the BM and PGB resulted in abnormal neuronal migration and massive ectopia of neurons within the subarachnoid space, with abnormal cortical lamination. Finally, studies of the experimental cryogenic injury to the neonatal rat cerebrum have shown that the final positioning of neurons within the developing cortical plate appears to depend largely on the reconstitution of the BM and PGB, which presumably provide crucial positional signals for migrating neurons. Also, one of the essential reparative features seen following cryogenic injury to the adult rat cerebrum is an orderly and dynamic interaction between various ECM components and neural cells, resulting in the formation of the BM.

Differences in wound healing pattern between mature and immature brain behavior of extravasated serum protein

To clarify the fate of extravasated serum protein and tissue reaction following blood brain-barrier breakdown in mature and immature brain, we produced cryogenic injury in the cortices of adult and post natal day 2 rats, and immunohistochemical examination with GFAP, vimentin and albumin, endogenous tracer of serum proteins, antibodies. Mature and immature brain showed the same histological changes by day 3. However, fibrotic scar, cyst formation and GFAP, vimentin-positive astrocytosis were main features in mature brain, fusion of adjoining cortical plate without scar and astrocytosis was typical in the immature brain. In adult rats, presence of albumin was observed near the lesion on day 1, evidently extending to the contralateral hemisphere on day 7 and localized again around scar and cyst on day 14. In the P2 rats, albumin was present in both hemispheres on day 1, but was localized to molecular layer periventricular region and choroid plexus on day 7. No albumin was detected on day 14. These results suggest that rapid spreading and clearance of extravasted serum proteins may take place in the immature brain and this may be deeply involved in the characteristic wound healing pattern.

Transforming growth factor beta 1 and fibronectin messenger RNA in rat brain: responses to injury and cell-type localization

Transforming growth factor-beta 1 rapidly increases in adult rat brain in response to experimental lesions. This study characterized the schedule of changes, regional distribution, and cellular localization of striatal transforming growth factor-beta 1 messenger RNA and fibronectin messenger RNA following partial striatal deafferentation by frontal cortex ablation. Frontal cortex ablation induced striatal transforming growth factor-beta 1 messenger RNA elevations that coincided temporally and overlapped anatomically with the course of degeneration of cortico-striatal afferent fibers. Within three days post-lesioning, transforming growth factor-beta 1 messenger RNA was localized at the cortical wound. By 10 days, the anatomical site of transforming growth factor-beta 1 messenger RNA expression shifted to the dorsal half of the deafferented striatum and co-localized with OX-42+ immunostained microglia-macrophage at the site of degenerating afferent terminals. Similarly, fibronectin messenger RNA also shifted from the cortical wound to the deafferented striatum by 10 days post-lesioning. Fibronectin messenger RNA was localized to glial fibrillary acidic protein+ immunostained astrocytes surrounding degenerating corticostriatal afferents. Infusion of transforming growth factor-beta 1 peptide elevated striatal and cortical fibronectin messenger RNA. These findings suggest that microglia-macrophage associated with degenerating afferent fibres can upregulate transforming growth factor-beta 1 messenger RNA and may influence fibronectin messenger RNA synthesis in reactive astrocytes. This study suggests that transforming growth factor-beta 1 has a role in controlling extracellular matrix synthesis following brain injury, which is analogous to that in peripheral wound healing.

Dynamics of gene expression for microtubule-associated protein MAP1B, embryonic alpha-tubulin and late neural beta-tubulin mRNAs in the hippocampus of aged rats

In the present study we characterized the developmental changes in the prevalence of mRNA coding for microtubule-associated protein, MAP1B, embryonic alpha-tubulin and late neural beta-tubulin in rat hippocampus and forebrain from 1 to 720 days of age using RNA gel-blot analysis. We find that (i) the microtubule-associated protein, MAP1B, signal was relatively abundant at early postnatal stages when compared with mature animals. The hybridization signal in the 24-month-old rats was was approximately 1.7 times that observed in 6-month-old rats. (ii) Embryonic alpha-tubulin and late neural beta-tubulin were differentially regulated during rat brain development. This regulation is characterized by a dramatic decrease in the amount of alpha-tubulin after day-1 and a coincident increase in the production of late neural beta-tubulin. Both messages became stabilized at moderate levels during the subsequent developmental stages. However, the averaged signal for beta-tubulin was then approximately 1.8-fold increased in 24- vs. 6-month-old rats. These results are consistent with hypothesis of an age-associated increase in reactive synaptogenesis where the healthy neurons sprout new connections to compensate for neuronal loss occurring in neighboring neurons.

Repair and reconstruction of the cortical plate following closed cryogenic injury to the neonatal rat cerebrum

A cryogenic lesion was induced in the parietal cortex of neonatal rats at postnatal day 2, and the chronological sequence of cellular events during repair and reconstruction of the cortical plate examined. Serial sections of cerebra obtained at varying intervals ranging from 1 to 60 days postinjury were studied by light and electron microscopy and by immunocytochemistry for fibronectin, laminin, type IV collagen, vimentin and glial fibrillary acidic protein. In addition, localization of heavily labeled neurons (generated on embryonic day 20) in the cerebral cortical plate was examined by [3H]thymidine radioautography. Repair of a well-defined coagulative lesion was accomplished with little or no mesenchymal cell proliferation in either the necrotic zone or the leptomeninges. Eventually, fusion of the adjacent cortical plates took place with the formation of a microsulcus. Migration of neurons continued to take place along the outer margins of the lesion, and postmigratory neurons accumulated within the upper cortical layers. Around the microsulcus, heavily labeled neurons aligned themselves with layers II-III of the adjacent normal cortical plate. Irregular clusters of neurons closely abutting the leptomeningeal surface were frequently noted when repair took place without an intervening molecular layer and/or a well-defined pial-glial barrier. Supplementing intrinsic information inherent in migrating neurons, local environmental signals provided by the radial glia, glia limitans, basal lamina and pial-glial barrier appear to influence the polarity and final positioning of postmigratory neurons within the cortical plate. The necrotic zone within the deeper layers of the cortex eventually healed with a cell-sparse gliotic layer. The end result was a histological pattern that, in many respects, resembled that of human micropolygyria.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)