<p>Stroke is the major cause of serious long-term disability with a sufficient acute treatment for only a very limited number of patients. Limited recovery of neurological functions occurs and can be elevated by a permissive post-stroke milieu. Housing animals in an enriched environment modulates regenerative mechanisms in the nonischemic peri-infarct area which might be an attractive target for pharmacological treatments to promote recovery.</p><p>Upon ischemia, cellular lipids are released due to massive cell damage and free lipids significantly contribute to the progression of acute and delayed cell death. The aim of this study was to evalute the effect of enriched environment on lipid metabolism. In particular we characterize the activation of the transcription factor liver X receptor (LXR) in glial scar formation and regulation of cholesterol balance of relevance for functional recovery following stroke. Brain tissues from animals subjected to permanent occlusion of middle cerebral artery (pMCAo) were analysed for LXRα and β protein expression. We found an upregulation and an increased transcriptional activity of LXRβ in the peri-infarct area of rats housing in an enriched environment following pMCAO. Our data anticipate that enriched environment may have positive effects on lipid recycling in the ischemic hemisphere following experimental stroke.<strong></strong></p>
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA/oai:DiVA.org:mdh-6530 |
| Date | January 2009 |
| Creators | Kuric, Enida |
| Publisher | Mälardalen University, Mälardalen University, Department of Biology and Chemical Engineering |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, text |
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