Stroke Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Stroke, including details on treatment, recovery, rehabilitation, signs, symptoms.

Upregulation of erbB receptors in rat brain after middle cerebral arterial occlusion.

Xu Z, Ford BD

Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Neuroscience Institute, Morehouse School of Medicine, 720 Westview Drive, SW; MRC 223, Atlanta, GA 30310, USA.

We have previously demonstrated that neuregulin-1 (NRG-1) is upregulated and is neuroprotective in ischemic brain injury, however the expression and localization of its receptors during ischemia has not been investigated. Therefore, we used a rat middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model to examine the distribution of erbB receptors following ischemic stroke. Like neuregulin-1, we observed a dramatic induction of erbB4 in the peri-infarct regions of the ipsilateral cortex 24 h following MCAO. Using Fluoro-Jade B (FJB) staining as a marker of neurodegeneration, erbB4 was upregulated in FJB-positive cells, suggesting that erbB receptors are induced in injured neurons. The increase in erbB receptors was seen in neurons and a subpopulation of macrophages/microglia. There was no erbB co-localization with GFAP-positive astrocytes. These results demonstrate that erbB receptors are upregulated in neurons and macrophages/microglia following ischemic stroke and may be involved in neuroprotection and repair.

Published 7 February 2005 in Neurosci Lett, 375(3): 181-6.
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