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Updated: Feb 4, 2026

Visualization of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps in Mesenteric Venules After Mesenteric Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury via Intravital Microscopy
07:05

Visualization of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps in Mesenteric Venules After Mesenteric Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury via Intravital Microscopy

Published on: September 27, 2024

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Role of polymorphonuclear neutrophils in the reperfused ischemic brain: insights from cell-type-specific

Dirk M Hermann1, Christoph Kleinschnitz2, Matthias Gunzer3

  • 1Department of Neurology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstraße 55, Essen D-45122, Germany.

Therapeutic Advances in Neurological Disorders
|September 25, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) infiltrate the brain after stroke, contributing to injury. New mouse models allow detailed study of PMN interactions in the ischemic brain, aiding understanding of stroke pathology.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Immunology
  • Pathology

Background:

  • Polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) are key in early post-ischemic immune responses, clearing infarcted brain tissue.
  • High PMN-to-lymphocyte ratios in peripheral blood correlate with poor stroke outcomes in humans.
  • While previously thought to be impeded by the blood-brain barrier, PMNs are now known to accumulate in the ischemic brain parenchyma.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of PMNs in secondary brain injury following stroke.
  • To understand how PMNs influence brain remodeling and plasticity after ischemic events.
  • To leverage new transgenic mouse models for studying dynamic PMN-brain interactions.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing intravital two-photon microscopy to observe PMN behavior in real-time.
  • Employing ex vivo immunohistochemistry for detailed analysis of PMN infiltration.
  • Employing novel transgenic mouse lines (Catchup mice) for specific PMN labeling and tracking.

Main Results:

  • PMNs accumulate within the ischemic brain parenchyma, challenging earlier assumptions about the blood-brain barrier's efficacy.
  • Experimental stroke models show PMNs contribute to secondary brain injury.
  • High peripheral PMN-to-lymphocyte ratios predict poor stroke outcomes in human patients.

Conclusions:

  • PMNs play a significant role in both the acute and chronic phases of stroke pathology.
  • Advanced imaging and genetic tools are crucial for dissecting PMN functions in the ischemic brain.
  • Further research with these models will elucidate PMN mechanisms in brain injury and recovery.
Keywords:
focal cerebral ischemiamacrophagemonocyteneuroinflammationreperfusion injury

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