Receptor tyrosine kinase tie 1 mRNA is upregulated on cerebral microvessels after embolic middle cerebral artery occlusion in rat.

Tie 1 is an endothelial specific transmembrane receptor tyrosine kinase and may be required during angiogenesis. Using in situ hybridization, we measured tie 1 mRNA in ischemic brain (n=15). Rats were subjected to middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion by a single fibrin rich clot. Expression of tie 1 was not detected in non ischemic brain. Cerebral microvessels expressed tie 1 in the ischemic lesion as early as 2 h after MCA occlusion. The number of microvessels containing tie 1 mRNA decreased in the ischemic lesion at 8 h after MCA occlusion. However, expression of tie 1 increased on microvessels at 24 h and 14 days after ischemia and tie 1 was primarily localized to the microvessels bordering pan necrotic tissue. Ninety-seven percent of cerebral vessels which expressed tie 1 mRNA had diameters of 3.7+/-0.17 microm. Our findings suggest a role for tie 1 in cerebral microvascular remodeling after embolic stroke.