Accumulation of Macrophage-Like Cells Expressing NG2 Proteoglycan and Iba1 in Ischemic Core of Rat Brain after Transient Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion
Open Access
- 13 June 2007
- journal article
- Published by SAGE Publications in Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism
- Vol. 28 (1), 149-163
- https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jcbfm.9600519
Abstract
Although neurons and glia inevitably undergo degeneration in the core of ischemic lesions, many cells, particularly immune cells, infiltrate the core and survive in it. Such infiltrating cells may play certain roles in the regeneration and repair of damaged brain tissues. In this study, we characterized macrophage-like cells that accumulated in the ischemic core of a rat brain whose right middle cerebral artery was transiently occluded for 90 mins. Many of the accumulated macrophage-like cells expressed Iba1, a marker of macrophages/microglia, as well as NG2 chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan (NG2), which has been recognized as a marker of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells. Such macrophage-like cells were termed BINCs (brain Iba1+/NG2+ cells) to distinguish them from NG2/Iba1+ or NG2+/Iba1− cells that were also present in the perilesion and the contralateral hemisphere. Electron microscopy showed the localization of NG2 along the plasma membrane of cells that had many phagosomes and irregular-shaped or reniform heterochromatin-rich nuclei, which are characteristics of monocytes/macrophages. Brain Iba1+/NG2+ cells were highly proliferative and their number peaked at 7 days post-reperfusion. An immunoblot analysis of NG2 revealed the presence of two NG2s: one expressed by BINCs with a molecular weight of 300 kDa, and the other found in the contralateral hemisphere with a molecular weight of 290 kDa. Taken the various functions of NG2, BINCs may be involved in not only phagocytosis of degenerated cells but also the healing and regeneration of lesion cores.Keywords
This publication has 40 references indexed in Scilit:
- Lack of expression of the chondroitin sulphate proteoglycan neuron-glial antigen 2 on candidate stem cell populations in paediatric acute myeloid leukaemia/abn(11q23) and acute lymphoblastic leukaemia/t(4;11)British Journal of Haematology, 2006
- Molecular basis of interaction between NG2 proteoglycan and galectin-3Journal of Cellular Biochemistry, 2005
- Human umbilical cord blood-derived f-macrophages retain pluripotentiality after thrombopoietin expansionExperimental Cell Research, 2005
- Two separate metalloproteinase activities are responsible for the shedding and processing of the NG2 proteoglycan in vitroMolecular and Cellular Neuroscience, 2005
- Cell proliferation and replacement following contusive spinal cord injuryGlia, 2005
- Endothelial Progenitor Cells: Functional CharacterizationTrends in Cardiovascular Medicine, 2004
- Genome sequence of the Brown Norway rat yields insights into mammalian evolutionNature, 2004
- Microglia: a sensor for pathological events in the CNSTrends in Neurosciences, 1996
- The primary structure of NG2, a novel membrane-spanning proteoglycan.The Journal of cell biology, 1991
- Rat middle cerebral artery occlusion: evaluation of the model and development of a neurologic examination.Stroke, 1986