EGF and FGF-2 infusion increases post-ischemic neural progenitor cell proliferation in the adult rat brain

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) and fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) play a critical role in neurogenesis. In the present study, we evaluated the additive effect of administering these two factors on post-ischemic progenitor cell proliferation, survival, and phenotypic maturation in the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) and the subventricular zone (SVZ) in the adult rat brain after transient middle cerebral artery occlusion.

A combination of EGF+FGF-2 (each 1.44 ng/d) was continuously administered into the lateral ventricles for 3 days, 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdUrd) was injected (50 mg/Kg) twice daily for 3 days starting on Day 1 of reperfusion, and cohorts of rats were sacrificed on Day 5 and Day 21 of reperfusion.

Compared with sham controls, ischemic rats showed a significantly higher number of newly proliferated cells in both the DG (by 766 +/- 37%, P < 0.05) and the SVZ (by 650 +/- 43%, P < 0.05). Of the progenitor cells proliferated on Day 5 after ischemia, 41 +/- 6% in the DG and 28 +/- 5% in the SVZ survived to 3 weeks. Compared with vehicle control, the EGF + FGF-2 infusion significantly increased the post-ischemic progenitor cell proliferation (by 319 +/- 40%, P < 0.05 in the DG and by 366 +/- 32%, P < 0.05 in the SVZ) and survival (by 40 +/- 12%, P < 0.05 in the DG and by 522 +/- 47%, P < 0.05 in the SVZ) studied at 5 and 21 days, respectively. Furthermore, of the newly proliferated cells survived to 3 weeks after ischemia, EGF + FGF-2 infusion caused a significantly higher number of neuronal nuclear protein-BrdUrd double-positive mature neurons in the DG (46 +/- 9%, P < 0.05) compared with vehicle control. Neuronal nuclear protein and BrdUrd double-positive mature neurons were also found in the DG. Glial fibrillary acidic protein-positive astrocytes did not show double-positive staining in either region.

Specific growth factor infusion enhances post-ischemic progenitor cell proliferation by 5 days of reperfusion and neuronal maturation by 21 days of reperfusion in both the DG and SVZ in the adult rat brain.