Characteristics of Scar Formation After Intracerebral Hemorrhage in Aged Rats: Effects of Deferoxamine

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), a severe stroke subtype common in the elderly, often results in high morbidity and mortality, with limited treatment options for long-term recovery. While glial scar formation is increasingly recognized as key to central nervous system (CNS) repair, its role and characteristics in the aging brain post-ICH remain unclear. This study investigated glial scar formation after ICH (100 μL autologous blood injected into the right basal ganglia model) in aged Fischer 344 rats and assessed the effects of deferoxamine (DFX) treatment. Histological and immunohistochemical analyses were conducted on days 7, 28, and 60 post-ICH using cell-specific and iron-related markers, with DFX administered at 100 mg/kg daily for 14 days in separate groups. Over time, the lesion core showed increased hemosiderin accumulation and astrogliosis. By day 60, the area of astrogliosis corresponded to an area with persistent neuronal loss (DARPP-32-negative). Glial composition shifted from microglia dominance on day 28 to astrocyte predominance by day 60. DFX treatment reduced iron deposition, astrogliosis, and DARPP-32-negative regions while enhancing oligodendrocyte presence. Iron-related markers (HO-1, ferritin, Perls' staining) and PDGFRβ-positive fibrotic cells were concentrated in the scar core. These findings provide novel insights into scar formation after ICH in aged rats and suggest DFX as a potential therapy to improve outcomes in elderly stroke patients.