Effects of Postconditioning on Neurogenesis and Angiogenesis During the Recovery Phase After Focal Cerebral Ischemia

Background and Purpose-Postconditioning may be a clinically feasible way to protect the brain after a stroke. However, its effects during the recovery phase post stroke remain to be fully elucidated. Here, we examine the hypothesis that ischemic postconditioning amplifies neurogenesis and angiogenesis during stroke recovery. Methods-Male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to 100-minute transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) or postconditioning (100-minute middle cerebral artery occlusion plus 10-minute reperfusion plus 10-minute reocclusion). After 2 weeks, infarct volumes, behavioral outcomes, and immunohistochemical markers of neurogenesis and angiogenesis were quantified. Results-Postconditioning significantly reduced infarction and improved neurological outcomes. Concomitantly, brains subjected to postconditioning showed an increase in doublecortin/BrdU and collagen-IV/Ki67-positive cells. Conclusions-These results suggest that therapeutic effects of postconditioning may involve the promotion of neurogenesis and angiogenic remodeling during the recovery phase after focal cerebral ischemia.