This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 40/10/3356    most recent STROKEAHA.109.553248v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Google Scholar Articles by Saiki, R. Articles by Igarashi, K. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Saiki, R. Articles by Igarashi, K. Related Collections Animal models of human disease Risk Factors Ischemic biology - basic studies Acute Cerebral Infarction Neuroprotectors

(Stroke. 2009;40:3356.)
© 2009 American Heart Association, Inc.

Original Contributions

Intense Correlation Between Brain Infarction and Protein-Conjugated Acrolein

Ryotaro Saiki, MS; Kazuhiro Nishimura, PhD; Itsuko Ishii, PhD; Tomohiro Omura, PhD; Shigeru Okuyama, PhD; Keiko Kashiwagi, PhD Kazuei Igarashi, PhD

From the Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences (R.S., K.N., I.I., K.I.), Chiba University, Chiba, Japan; Medicinal Research Laboratories, Taisho Pharmaceutical Co Ltd (T.O., S.O.), Saitama, Japan; Faculty of Pharmacy (K.K.), Chiba Institute of Science, Chiba, Japan; and Amine Pharma Research Institute (K.I.), Innovation Plaza at Chiba University, Chiba, Japan.

Correspondence to Kazuei Igarashi, PhD, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8675, Japan. E-mail iga16077{at}p.chiba-u.ac.jp

Background and Purpose— We recently found that increases in plasma levels of protein-conjugated acrolein and polyamine oxidases, enzymes that produce acrolein, are good markers for stroke. The aim of this study was to determine whether the level of protein-conjugated acrolein is increased and levels of spermine and spermidine, the substrates of acrolein production, are decreased at the locus of infarction.

Methods— A unilateral infarction was induced in mouse brain by photoinduction after injection of Rose Bengal. The volume of the infarction was analyzed using the public domain National Institutes of Health image program. The level of protein-conjugated acrolein at the locus of infarction and in plasma was measured by Western blotting and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. The levels of polyamines at the locus of infarction and in plasma were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography.

Results— The level of protein-conjugated acrolein was greatly increased, and levels of spermine and spermidine were decreased at the locus of infarction at 24 hours after the induction of stroke. The size of infarction was significantly decreased by N-acetylcysteine, a scavenger of acrolein. It was also found that the increases in the protein-conjugated acrolein, polyamines, and polyamine oxidases in plasma were observed after the induction of stroke.

Conclusions— The results indicate that the induction of infarction is well correlated with the increase in protein-conjugated acrolein at the locus of infarction and in plasma.

Key Words: acrolein • brain infarction • neuroprotective agents • polyamines • risk factors