147278 - corticosterone administration alters white matter.pdf (5.78 MB)
Corticosterone administration alters white matter tract structure and reduces gliosis in the sub-acute phase of experimental stroke
journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-21, 03:23 authored by Zalewska, K, Hood, RJ, Pietrogrande, G, Sanchez-Bezanilla, S, Ong, LK, Johnson, SJ, Kaylene YoungKaylene Young, Nilsson, M, Walker, FRWhite matter tract (WMT) degeneration has been reported to occur following a stroke, and it is associated with post-stroke functional disturbances. White matter pathology has been suggested to be an independent predictor of post-stroke recovery. However, the factors that influence WMT remodeling are poorly understood. Cortisol is a steroid hormone released in response to prolonged stress, and elevated levels of cortisol have been reported to interfere with brain recovery. The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of corticosterone (CORT; the rodent equivalent of cortisol) on WMT structure post-stroke. Photothrombotic stroke (or sham surgery) was induced in 8-week-old male C57BL/6 mice. At 72 h, mice were exposed to standard drinking water ± CORT (100 µg/mL). After two weeks of CORT administration, mice were euthanised and brain tissue collected for histological and biochemical analysis of WMT (particularly the corpus callosum and corticospinal tract). CORT administration was associated with increased tissue loss within the ipsilateral hemisphere, and modest and inconsistent WMT reorganization. Further, a structural and molecular analysis of the WMT components suggested that CORT exerted effects over axons and glial cells. Our findings highlight that CORT at stress-like levels can moderately influence the reorganization and microstructure of WMT post-stroke.
History
Publication title
International Journal of Molecular SciencesVolume
22Issue
13Article number
6693Number
6693Pagination
1-15ISSN
1661-6596Department/School
Menzies Institute for Medical ResearchPublisher
MDPIPlace of publication
SwitzerlandRights statement
Copyright 2021 The Authors. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Repository Status
- Open