Background and Purpose--Hyperglycemia is linked to a worse outcome after ischemic stroke. Among the manifestations of brain damage caused by ischemia are blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption and edema formation. Oxidative stress and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) activation are implicated in BBB dysfunction after ischemia/reperfusion injury. Our present study was designed to clarify the relation among hyperglycemia, oxidative stress, and MMP-9 activation associated with BBB dysfunction after transient focal cerebral ischemia (tFCI).

Methods--We used a model of 60 minutes of middle cerebral artery occlusion on the following animals: normoglycemic wild-type rats, wild-type rats with hyperglycemia induced by streptozotocin, and human copper/zinc superoxide dismutase (SOD1) transgenic rats with streptozotocin-induced hyperglycemia. We evaluated edema volume, Evans blue leakage, and oxidative stress, such as the carbonyl groups and oxidized hydroethidine (HEt), SOD activity, and gelatinolytic activity, including MMP-9.

Results--Hyperglycemia significantly increased edema volume and Evans blue leakage. Moreover, it enhanced the levels of the carbonyl groups, the oxidized HEt signals, and MMP-9 activity after tFCI without alteration in SOD activity. Gelatinolytic activity and oxidized HEt signals had a clear spatial relation in the hyperglycemic rats. SOD1 overexpression reduced the hyperglycemia-enhanced Evans blue leakage and MMP-9 activation after tFCI.

Conclusions--Hyperglycemia increases oxidative stress and MMP-9 activity, exacerbating BBB dysfunction after ischemia/reperfusion injury. Superoxide overproduction may be a causal link among hyperglycemia, MMP-9 activation, and BBB dysfunction.