INHIBITION OF TNF-ALPHA ATTENUATES INFARCT VOLUME AND ICAM-1 EXPRESSION IN ISCHEMIC MOUSE-BRAIN

THE purpose of our study was to determine whether inhibiting the actio n of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha) attenuates brain injury a nd reduces inflammatory responses in the mouse during ischemia and rep erfusion. Mice underwent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) for 1 h followed by 23 h reperfusion. Monoclonal neutralizing anti-murine T NF alpha antibody (mAb) was administrated intraventricularly in the mo use with temporary MCAO. Infarct volume in the anti-TNF alpha mAb trea ted mice was significantly smaller than that in the control group (p<0 .05). The number of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1)-positiv e vessels in the ischemic area of the anti-TNF alpha mAb-treated group was significantly less than that in the control group. Our study demo nstrated that blocking TNF alpha reduced brain injury and attenuated I CAM-1 expression during transient cerebral ischemia. (C) 1998 Rapid Sc ience Ltd.