Age-dependent MRI-detected lesions at early stages of transient global ischemia in rat brain

Although ischemic stroke has higher incidence and severity in aged than in young humans, the age factor is generally neglected in ischemia animal models. This study was aimed at comparing age-dependent effects at early stages of transient global cerebral ischemia (TGCI) in rats. TGCI was induced in two groups of rats (3–6 and 20–24 months old, respectively) by exposure to 15% oxygen and 15 min occlusion of the two common carotid arteries. Brains were analysed in vivo by MRI–apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and T2 maps–at 1–3 h post-TGCI and in vitro by histochemical examination of triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC)-stained slices. At 1–3 h post-TGCI, a higher incidence of lesions was found in aged than in young rats especially in the hippocampus and cortex (occipital plus parietal) but not in the thalamus. The lesioned regions showed lower ADC values in aged than in younger rats. The most substantial ADC decreases were associated with enhanced spin-spin relaxation and lower TTC staining. The different responses of the two age groups support the use of aged animals for investigations on different ischemia models. Our model of brain ischemia appears appropriate for further studies including drug effects.