Alterations of local cerebral blood flow, phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate binding activity, and histological damage during acute focal ischaemia in rat brain. A pathophysiology of acute focal ischaemia: Part 1.

The alterations of the local cerebral blood flow (LCBF), 3H-phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PDBu) binding activity were measured, and histological findings were also examined during the closed time course (0, 1, 3, 5, 7 hour) after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in rat brain to assess the complex pathophysiology of acute focal ischaemia. From 1 to 3 hours after the start of MCAO, significant (p < 0.01) hyperreactivity of the second messenger system involving PDBu binding may be present, despite low perfusion of LCBF, and severe damage in the striatum whereas sparing almost completely the cortex on histological examination. At 5 hours, the PDBu binding activity increased slightly but not significantly but is reduced markedly at 7 hours after MCAO compared with the control group. The measurement of PDBu binding activity, additionally to measuring the LCBF and observation of the histological change might be a useful indicator in determining the threshold and duration of ischaemia which cause functionally irreversible cell damage in the brain.