Perspectives on reperfusion-induced damage in rodent models of experimental focal ischemia and role of gamma-protein kinase C.

Ischemic stroke represents the leading cause of death and disability among elderly people. Most stroke survivors are left with lifelong disability. With the exception of tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA), no effective therapy exists for the management of acute stroke. Understanding the role of various extrinsic and intrinsic pathogenic factors of ischemic damage represents a prime objective of ongoing stroke research. An important variable affecting stroke outcome is the presence or absence of reperfusion (recanalization of the occluded vessel) following an ischemic event. It appears that early reperfusion after a stroke is beneficial and capable of reversing the majority of ischemic dysfunctions. However, in some instances, late reperfusion may contrarily trigger deleterious processes and lead to more ischemic damage. Examples of ischemia/reperfusion damage using an experimental model of focal ischemia in rodents are provided, along with evidence that the brain-enriched gamma-isoform of protein kinase C may represent an important mediator of reperfusion-induced brain injury in mutant mice.