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(Circulation. 2007;116:411-418.)
© 2007 American Heart Association, Inc.

Stroke

Mast Cell Stabilization Reduces Hemorrhage Formation and Mortality After Administration of Thrombolytics in Experimental Ischemic Stroke

Daniel Strbian, MD; Marja-Liisa Karjalainen-Lindsberg, MD, PhD; Petri T. Kovanen, MD, PhD; Turgut Tatlisumak, MD; Perttu J. Lindsberg, MD, PhD

From the Departments of Neurology (D.S., T.T., P.J.L.) and Pathology (M.-L.K.-L.), Helsinki University Central Hospital; Neuroscience Program, Biomedicum Helsinki (D.S., T.T., P.J.L.); and Wihuri Research Institute (P.T.K.), Helsinki, Finland.

Correspondence to Perttu J. Lindsberg, MD, PhD, Department of Neurology, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Haartmaninkatu 8, 00290 Helsinki, Finland. E-mail Perttu.Lindsberg{at}hus.fi

Received July 30, 2006; accepted April 30, 2007.

Background— Thrombolysis with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) improves stroke outcome, but hemorrhagic complications and reperfusion injury occasionally impede favorable prognosis after vessel recanalization. Perivascularly located cerebral mast cells (MCs) release on degranulation potent vasoactive, proteolytic, and fibrinolytic substances. We previously found MCs to increase ischemic and hemorrhagic brain edema and neutrophil accumulation. This study examined the role of MCs in tPA-mediated hemorrhage formation (HF) and reperfusion injury.

Methods and Results— Exposure to tPA in vitro induced strong MC degranulation. In vivo experiments in a focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion model in rats showed 70- to 100-fold increase in HF after postischemic tPA administration (P<0.001). Pharmacological MC stabilization with cromoglycate led to significant reduction in tPA-mediated HF at 3 (97%), 6 (76%), and 24 hours (96%) compared with controls (P<0.01, P<0.001, and P<0.01, respectively). Furthermore, genetically modified MC-deficient rats showed similarly robust reduction of tPA-mediated HF at 6 (92%) and 24 (89%) hours compared with wild-type littermates (P<0.01 and P<0.001, respectively). MC stabilization and MC deficiency also significantly reduced other hallmarks of reperfusion injury, such as brain swelling and neutrophil infiltration. These effects of cromoglycate and MC deficiency translated into significantly better neurological outcome (P<0.01 and P<0.05, respectively) and lower mortality (P<0.05 and P<0.05, respectively) after 24 hours.

Conclusions— MCs appear to play an important role in HF and reperfusion injury after tPA administration. Pharmacological stabilization of MCs could offer a novel type of therapy to improve the safety of administration of thrombolytics.

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