Abstract TMP29: Type II Diabetes Induces an Early Decline of Neurogenesis With Increased Morphological Alteration in Neuroblasts

Introduction: Diabetes increases the severity of stroke outcome and impairs the capacity for neuroplasticity. Evidence suggests that neurogenesis, a mechanism of neuroplasticity, is induced after experimental stroke, although how it is confounded by type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) or aging remains to be clarified. Hypothesis: We hypothesize that T2DM exacerbates age-associated reduction in neurogenesis. Methods: Experimental stroke was induced by distal middle cerebral artery occlusion (dMCAO) in young (11-13 weeks-old, n=12) and middle-aged (53-75 weeks-old, n=50) db/+ or db/db mice, as well as in db/+ mice of old age (99-124 weeks-old, n=30). Thymidine analog 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine-5′(BrdU) was administered i.p. at 50 mg/kg twice daily from days 4-7 after dMCAO to label proliferating cells. Mice were euthanized 28 days after dMCAO and their brain tissue was processed for immunohistochemistry for BrdU and markers of neuronal or glial lineages. Results: A significant reduction in the number of DG neurobl...