Decreased brain infarct following focal ischemia in mice lacking the transcription factor E2F1

E2F1+/+ mice subjected to 2h middle cerebral artery occlusion developed an infarct of 77.0 +/- 3.2mm(3) (mean +/- s.e.m., n=15)in the ischemic hemisph ere after 24 h reperfusion. A significantly smaller infarct of 58.8 +/- 4.8 mm(3) (n = 15; p < 0.01) was found in E2F1-/-animals. Both deficient and n ormal mice had similar cerebral angioarchitecture and intra-ischemic decrea ses in regional blood flow. Similar areas of hypoxia in both groups of isch emic animals were demonstrated directly by immunohistochemical detection of nitroimidazole adducts. It was concluded that all animals received the sam e ischemic insult, yet the subsequent damage was different in the mutant mi ce. This is the first indication that the E2F1 gene plays a role in ischemi c death of post-mitotic neurons. (C) 1999 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.