Remodeling of the brain angioarchitecture in experimental chronic neurodegeneration
Background: Chronic neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by substantial neuroinflammation with accumulation of macrophages, reactive microglia, and reactive astrocytes. Impairment of the brain vasculature is also commonly seen in chronic neurodegeneration with causal links warranting further investigation. Methods: To address the effects of chronic neurodegeneration on regional vasculature, we performed a unilateral injection of a glutamate receptor agonist ibotenic acid into striatum of adult rats, which caused excitotoxicity in the substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNpr) due to imbalance between inhibitory inputs from the striatum and excitatory signals from the subthalamic nucleus. Brains were examined at 28 days (short-term neurodegeneration) and 91 days (long-term neurodegeneration). Dissected brain samples were analyzed for protein and gene expression using immunohistochemistry and qPCR. Brains were further analyzed for remodeling of vasculature labeled with wheat germ ag