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Proliferation in the human ipsilateral subventricular zone after ischemic stroke
J Martí-Fàbregas1, M Romaguera-Ros, U Gómez-Pinedo
1Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Avda. Sant Antoni Maria Claret, 167, 08025 Barcelona, Spain. jmarti@santpau.cat
Neurology
|January 8, 2010
Summary
Following an acute ischemic stroke, active cell proliferation was observed in the subventricular zone (SVZ) of human patients. This study provides evidence of neurogenesis in the adult human brain after stroke.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cell Biology
- Neuropathology
Background:
- The occurrence of neurogenesis in the adult human brain following stroke remains uncertain.
- This study investigates the subventricular zone (SVZ) in patients who experienced acute ischemic stroke.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the morphologic changes in the subventricular zone (SVZ) after acute ischemic stroke in human patients.
- To determine if cell proliferation and migration occur in the SVZ post-stroke.
Main Methods:
- Coronal brain slices from 7 human patients who died after a first-ever cerebral nonlacunar infarction were analyzed.
- Light and electron microscopy, immunochemistry (Ki-67, PCNA, Tuj-1, PSA-NCAM) were used to evaluate SVZ morphologic changes, cell proliferation, and cell migration.
Main Results:
- The ipsilateral SVZ showed increased gap and ribbon layer width, higher cell density in the ribbon layer, enlarged astrocyte cytoplasmic volume, and more Ki-67-positive cells compared to the contralateral SVZ.
- Mitoses, immature neurons (Tuj-1+), and migrating cells (PSA-NCAM+) were more frequent in the ipsilateral SVZ post-stroke.
Conclusions:
- Unequivocal evidence of active cell proliferation in the ipsilateral subventricular zone was found following acute ischemic stroke.
- These findings suggest that the adult human brain has a capacity for neurogenesis after stroke.
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