Abstract

Changes in the regional distribution of protein kinase C (PKC) after transient focal cerebral ischemia in SV-129 mice were assessed by quantitative autoradiography using [3H]phorbol-12,13-dibutyrate ([3H]PDBu) binding. [3H]PDBu binding did not change up to 10 min after reperfusion of 3 h ischemia, but at 1 h after reperfusion markedly decreased to 40-50% of control (pre-ischemia) in the ipsilateral striatum and the middle cerebral artery (MCA) region of cortex in SV-129 mice. The binding decreased to 20% of control at 3-7 days after reperfusion, but did not change in the ipsilateral anterior cerebral artery (ACA) territory or the contralateral brain. In the ipsilateral substantia nigra, which lies outside the ischemic zone, [3H]PDBu binding was not significantly changed compared to the control values (pre-ischemia) at early phase (up to 3 h after reperfusion), but marked reduction of the binding was observed 1 day after reperfusion. After 3 h ischemia followed by 3 h reperfusion, the morphological damage and the decrease in [3H]PDBu binding in the ipsilateral striatum and the MCA region of cortex was smaller in mice lacking the expression of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (type I NOS) gene mutant mice compared to wild-type (SV-129 and C57black/6) mice. Our data suggest that postischemic alterations of PKC binding activity were observed in the ischemic and non-ischemic lesions in the mouse brain.