The relationship between plasma protein extravasation and remote tissue changes after experimental brain infarction.

Extravasated endogenous serum albumin and fibrinogen were identified immunohistochemically in coronal brain sections from normotensive Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) after permanent ligation of the right middle cerebral artery. Infarcts were seen in all the SHR but only in 6 out of 14 WKY. Six hours after ligation, extravasated proteins were located primarily within the borders of the infarcts whereas after 24 h and later there was an increasing spread in the white matter. After 7 days, a protein immunoreactivity was seen far outside the infarcted areas, mainly in the white matter and occasionally extending somewhat into the contralateral side. Three weeks after permanent ligation, the immunoreactivity for plasma proteins had a similar extension but was less intense than after 7 days. A gliosis was noted within the protein-positive regions. From 72 h and onwards the immunoreactivity for albumin but not for fibrinogen extended via the white matter into the ipsilateral thalamic nuclei, where marked, mainly cytolytic nerve cell damage and gliosis was found. The close spatial correlation with albumin immunopositivity and the histological features of the thalamic lesions indicate that the propagation of extravasated plasma constituents or degradation products from the infarct may influence the character, timing and extent of remote tissue changes after cerebral infarction.