INTERACTIONS BETWEEN T-CELLS AND ASTROCYTES POST-ISCHEMIC STROKE

Purpose: In post-ischemic stroke, T-lymphocytes enter the brain. Presently, the role of these T-cells in the progression of cerebral infarction or repair mechanisms is unclear. Our goal is to analyze the function of T-cells in regions of cerebral infarction by examining the pro- and anti-inflammatory interaction between T-cells and brain cells within these lesions. Methods: Ischemic stroke was induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion in young adult C57/B6 male mice. Mice were sacrificed at 3 days or 1-month post-ischemic stroke. T-cells were harvested from the brain by digestion; percoll enriched, and incubated with anti-CD3 and CD25 antibodies. T-cells were sorted via flow cytometry. The cytokine expression profile of brain infiltrated T-cells was compared to spleen T-cells using q-RTPCR. Results: In this in vivo study the following cytokines, poststroke, were found to be elevated: IFN-γ, IL-10, IL-17, TNF, Perforin, T-bet, and RORc. Conclusions: Our data suggests that understanding the interaction between T-cells and astrocytes could open new therapeutic strategies for stroke patients.