Summary: Induction of the 70-kDa heat shock protein (HSP70) was demonstrated immunocytochemically in adult rats 4 h to 7 days following temporary middle cere bral artery (MeA) occlusions lasting 30, 60, or 90 min. Maximal HSP70 induction occurred �24 h following ischemia. Thirty minutes of ischemia induced HSP70 in neurons throughout the cortex in the MeA distribution, whereas 90 min of ischemia induced HSP70 in neurons in the penumbra. HSP70 protein was induced in endothelial cells in infarcted neocortex following 60-90 min of MeA occlusion, and HSP70 was induced in endothelial cells in infarcted regions of lateral striatum following 30-90 min Normal rat brain cells do not express the 70-kDa heat shock protein (HSP70) (Vass et aI. , 1988; Brown et aI. , 1989; Gonzalez et aI. , 1989; Sharp et aI. , 1991a,b), which is a product of the hsp70 gene (Hunt and Morimoto, 1985). HSP70 is induced in brain in response to hyperthermia (Brown, 1983;Sprang and Brown, 1987; Barbe et aI. , 1988), epi lepsy (Gonzalez et aI. , 1989; Vass et aI. , 1989; Lo wenstein et aI., 1990), hypoxia-ischemia (Nowak, 1985 Kiessling et aI. , 1986; Vass et aI. , 1988; Dwy er et aI. , 1989; Gonzalez et aI., 1989; Ferriero et aI. , 1990), injection of excitotoxins (Uney et aI. , 1988; Gonzalez et aI. , 1989)
105of MeA occlusion. hsp70 mRNA was induced in the MeA distribution in cortex and to a lesser extent in stri atum at 2 h to 3 days following 60 min of ischemia. It is proposed that brief ischemia induces hsp70 mRNA and HSP70 protein in the cells most vulnerable to ischemia the neurons. HSP70 protein is not induced in most neu rons and glia following 60-90 min of ischemia in areas destined to infarct, whereas it is induced in vascular en dothelial cells. Key Words: Focal brain-hsp70 mRNA Middle cerebral artery-Stress and heat shock protein Stroke.1981; Brown et aI. , 1989). Gonzalez et al. (1989) emphasized the potential value of using HSP70 im munostaining as a sensitive marker of brain cell in jury.HSPs are a family of proteins that perform many functions. Some 60-to 80-kDa HSPs appear to chaperone protein movements across membranes and mediate important protein-protein interactions in normal and stressed cells (Chapell et aI. , 1986;Ellis, 1987; Chirico et aI. , 1988; Cheng et aI. , 1989; Chiang et aI. , 1989; Deshaies et aI. , 1989; Beck mann et aI. , 1990). Some 90-kDa HSPs regulate ste roid receptor availability.Once HSPs are induced, they may prevent pro teins from being denatured (Pelham, 1986) and pro tect cells from subsequent injury (Schlesinger et aI. , 1982;Johnston and Kucey, 1988; Riabowol et aI., 1988). Barbe et al. (1988) provided the first direct evidence for this protective role in the CNS by showing that preinduction in the rabbit retina via systemic hyperthermia is associated with a de crease in light-induced retinal injury. Moreover, mild global cerebral ischemia, sufficient to induce 106 H. KINOUCHI ET AL.HSP70 in the hippocampus, attenuates the hippo campal injury associated with a subsequent severe ischemic...