Stroke is considered one of the most important causes of death and functional deficits in the world. Few neurological conditions are so complex and devastating, resulting in severe neurological deficits and death in the survivors. The cortical regions are commonly affected by stroke, resulting in sensory and motor loss. The establishment of neuropathological patterns in cortical regions, including the somatosensory area, is critical for the investigation of possible therapeutic interventions. In the present study, we investigated the patterns of neuronal loss, microgliosis, astrocytosis, neurogenesis and functional deficits in the primary somatosensory cortex of adult rats submitted to focal ischemia induced by microinjections of 40 pmol of endothelin-1 (ET-1). A total of 30 young adult Wistar rats (Rattus norvegicus) of Wistar, weighing between 250-280g were used in the study. The animals were divided into ischemic (N = 21) and control (N = 9) groups. They were perfused at survival times of 1, 3 and 7 days. The 7 days animals were submitted to behavioral tests to evaluate sensorimotor impairment. Sections were stained with cresyl violet, cytochrome oxidase and immunostained to identify neurons (anti-NeuN), activated and non-activated microglia (Iba-1), activated macrophages/microglia (ED-1), astrocytes (GFAP) and neuroblasts (DCX ). Statistical comparisons between groups were made by one analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Tukey post-hoc test. The animals showed ischemic sensorimotor deficits revealed by Bederson Neurological Scale, Paw Placement and corner tests. Microinjections of ET-1 induced focal ischemic lesion in the primary somatosensory cortex with neuronal loss and progressive astrocytosis and microgliosis mainly in the late survival times. The cytochrome oxidase histochemistry revealed the barrel fields, but unexpectedly marked a population of inflammatory cells with macrophage characteristics in the ischemic region. Increased numbers of SVZ neuroblasts were observed mainly in late survival times of ipsilateral hemisphere in comparison to contralateral side and control animals. There was no significant migration of neuroblasts to the ischemic cortex. The results show that microinjections of ET-1 are an effective method for inducing tissue loss and sensorymotor deficits in the primary somatosensory cortex of adult rats. It was evident that the SVZ is influenced by distant
ischemic events distant and that macrophage populations seem to increase the cytochrome oxidase expression. The implemented experimental model can be used in future studies, in which potential neuroprotective drugs can be tested to minimize the described
neuropathological alterations.
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