Matrix metalloproteinase-9 expression and blood brain barrier permeability in the rat brain after cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury

BACKGROUND: The integrity of the blood brain barrier (BBB) plays an important role in the patho-physiological process of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury. It has been recently observed that metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) is closely related to cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injuryOBJECTIVE: This study was designed to observe MMP-9 expression in the rat brain after cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury and to investigate its correlation to BBB permeability.DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING: This study, a randomized controlled animal experiment, was performed at the Institute of Neurobiology, Central South University between September 2005 and March 2006.MATERIALS: Ninety healthy male SD rats, aged 3-4 months, weighing 200-280g, were used in the present study. Rabbit anti-rat MMP-9 polyclonal antibody (Boster, Wuhan, China) and Evans blue (Sigma, USA) were also used.METHODS: All rats were randomly divided into 9 groups with 10 rats in each group: normal control group, sham-operated group, and ischemia for 2 hours followed by reperfusion for 3,6,12 hours, 1,2,4 and 7 days groups. In the ischemia/reperfusion groups, rats were subjected to ischemia/reperfusion injury by suture occlusion of the right middle cerebral artery. In the sham-operated group, rats were merely subjected to vessel dissociation. In the normal control group, rats were not modeled.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: BBB permeability was assessed by determining the level of effusion of Evans blue. MMP-9 expression was detected by an immunohistochemical method.RESULTS: All 90 rats were included in the final analysis. BBB permeability alteration was closely correlated to ischemia/reperfusion time. BBB permeability began to increase at ischemia/reperfusion for 3 hours, then it gradually reached a peak level at ischemia/reperfusion for 1 day, and thereafter it gradually decreased. MMP-9 expression began to increase at ischemia/reperfusion for 3 hours, then gradually reached its peak level 2 days after perfusion, and thereafter it gradually decreased.CONCLUSION: MMP-9 expression increases in rat brain tissue after focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury, which correlates with increased permeability of the BBB.