Characterization of neuronal cell death in normal and diabetic rats following exprimental focal cerebral ischemia

We have studied the forms of cell death following ischemia/reperfusion, and the influence of diabetes mellitus (DM) as an additional factor. Based on the models of diabetes and middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), charact eristics of cell death after ischemia/reperfusion were evaluated synthetica lly by different methods: pathology, FCM, TUNEL and DNA agarose electrophor esis. The results showed that the occurrence of cerebral injury after ische mia/reperfusion. was accompanied by cell necrosis and cell apoptosis. Cell apoptosis was mainly located in the ischemic penumbral (IP) zone around the densely ischemic focus. The ischemic, core was characterized by cell necro sis. At the same time, the results showed that the process of ischemic cere bral injury worsened by DM was related to inducing cell apoptosis in EP and mid zone. In conclusion, there existed not only cell apoptosis but cell ne crosis in brain damage following focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion and sh owed a close, internal relationship between them. Brain damage following ce rebral ischemia/reperfusion was worsened distinctly under diabetic conditio ns. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.