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A Mouse Model of Vascularized Heterotopic Spleen Transplantation for Studying Spleen Cell Biology and Transplant Immunity
Published on: June 11, 2019
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Splenectomy protects aged mice from injury after experimental stroke
Anjali Chauhan1, Abdullah Al Mamun1, Gabriel Spiegel1
1Department of Neurology, the University of Texas McGovern Medical School at Houston, TX, USA.
Neurobiology of Aging
|October 24, 2017
Summary
Removing the spleen improved stroke recovery in aged mice by reducing brain inflammation and injury. This suggests targeting the spleen may be a promising stroke treatment for the elderly.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Immunology
- Gerontology
Background:
- Aging is associated with poorer stroke outcomes and altered immune responses.
- The spleen's role in age-related stroke injury is not well understood.
- Previous studies indicated splenectomy benefits young mice post-stroke.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the spleen's contribution to brain injury in aged mice after cerebral ischemia.
- To determine if splenectomy improves functional recovery and reduces brain damage in aged mice.
Main Methods:
- Aged male mice underwent splenectomy before or immediately after experimental stroke.
- Neurobehavioral tests and infarct volume measurements assessed stroke outcomes.
- Analysis of peripheral immune cell infiltration and inflammatory cytokine levels in the brain.
Main Results:
- Splenectomy significantly improved neurobehavioral function and reduced infarct size in aged mice.
- Aged splenectomized mice showed decreased peripheral immune cell infiltration and lower brain inflammatory cytokine levels.
- Splenectomy timing (pre-stroke or post-reperfusion) both conferred benefits.
Conclusions:
- The spleen plays a significant role in exacerbating brain injury and impairing recovery after stroke in aged individuals.
- Inhibiting the splenic immune response via splenectomy is a potentially effective therapeutic strategy for stroke in the elderly.
- Targeting splenic immune pathways offers a translationally relevant approach for improving stroke outcomes in aging populations.
