Open Access

Blood-filled cerebrospinal fluid-enhanced pericyte microvasculature contraction in rat retina: A novel in vitro study of subarachnoid hemorrhage

  • Authors:
    • Zhi Liu
    • Qiang Li
    • Gaoyu Cui
    • Gang Zhu
    • Weihua Tang
    • Hengli Zhao
    • John H. Zhang
    • Yujie Chen
    • Hua Feng
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: September 1, 2016     https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2016.3644
  • Pages: 2411-2416
  • Copyright: © Liu et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

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Abstract

Previously, it was widely accepted that the delayed ischemic injury and poor clinical outcome following subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) was caused by cerebral vasospasm. This classical theory was challenged by a clazosentan clinical trial, which failed to improve patient outcome, despite reversing angiographic vasospasm. One possible explanation for the results of this trial is the changes in microcirculation following SAH, particularly in pericytes, which are the primary cell type controlling microcirculation in the brain parenchyma. However, as a result of technical limitations and the lack of suitable models, there was no direct evidence of microvessel dysfunction following SAH. In the present study, whole‑mount retinal microvasculature has been introduced to study microcirculation in the brain following experimental SAH in vitro. Artificial blood‑filled cerebrospinal fluid (BSCF) was applied to the retinal microvasculature to test the hypothesis that the presence of subarachnoid blood affects the contractile properties of the pericytes containing cerebral microcirculation during the early phase of SAH. It was observed that BCSF induced retina microvessel contraction and that this contraction could be resolved by BCSF wash‑out. Furthermore, BCSF application accelerated pericyte‑populated collagen gel contraction and increased the expression of α‑smooth muscle actin. In addition, BCSF induced an influx of calcium in cultured retinal pericytes. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates increased contractility of retinal microvessels and pericytes in the presence of BCSF in vitro. These findings suggest that pericyte contraction and microvascular dysfunction is induced following SAH, which could lead to greater susceptibility to SAH‑induced ischemia.
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October-2016
Volume 12 Issue 4

Print ISSN: 1792-0981
Online ISSN:1792-1015

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Spandidos Publications style
Liu Z, Li Q, Cui G, Zhu G, Tang W, Zhao H, Zhang JH, Chen Y and Feng H: Blood-filled cerebrospinal fluid-enhanced pericyte microvasculature contraction in rat retina: A novel in vitro study of subarachnoid hemorrhage. Exp Ther Med 12: 2411-2416, 2016
APA
Liu, Z., Li, Q., Cui, G., Zhu, G., Tang, W., Zhao, H. ... Feng, H. (2016). Blood-filled cerebrospinal fluid-enhanced pericyte microvasculature contraction in rat retina: A novel in vitro study of subarachnoid hemorrhage. Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine, 12, 2411-2416. https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2016.3644
MLA
Liu, Z., Li, Q., Cui, G., Zhu, G., Tang, W., Zhao, H., Zhang, J. H., Chen, Y., Feng, H."Blood-filled cerebrospinal fluid-enhanced pericyte microvasculature contraction in rat retina: A novel in vitro study of subarachnoid hemorrhage". Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine 12.4 (2016): 2411-2416.
Chicago
Liu, Z., Li, Q., Cui, G., Zhu, G., Tang, W., Zhao, H., Zhang, J. H., Chen, Y., Feng, H."Blood-filled cerebrospinal fluid-enhanced pericyte microvasculature contraction in rat retina: A novel in vitro study of subarachnoid hemorrhage". Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine 12, no. 4 (2016): 2411-2416. https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2016.3644