Autoradiographic analysis of cyclic adenosine monophosphate phosphodiesterase using [3H]rolipram in the postischemic...

Postischemic alteration of cyclic adenosine monophosphate phosphodiesterase was investigated in the rat brain, using [3H]rolipram in vitro autoradiography. After 90 min of middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion, [3H]rolipram binding sites decreased rapidly in the brain areas supplied by the occluded MCA. Moreover, 3 days after the ischemia, significant decreases of [3H]rolipram binding sites were observed in the thalamus and the substantia nigra, both areas had not been directly affected by the original ischemic insult. These results suggest that alteration of second messenger pathways may be involved in neuronal degeneration caused by transsynaptic process and that alteration of intracellular signal transduction may precede the neuronal damage in the exo-focal postischemic brain areas.