Neuropathology of Cerebral Ischemia

Cerebral ischemia results from glucose and oxygen reduction following insufficiency of brain blood supply. Ischemia could be induced in focal and diffuse models. A type of animal model of transient brain global ischemia is induced via common carotid arteries ligation and focal ischemia is induced by middle cerebral artery obstructions, which are the most common approach for investigation of the pathophysiology of brain ischemia and its mechanisms. Understanding of pathophysiological mechanisms of cerebral ischemia is important for the development of novel preventive and therapeutic approaches for brain ischemia.

In the present study, we have described the pathophysiological mechanisms of brain ischemic events, such as decreases in cerebral blood flow, glutamate neurotoxicity, oxidative stress, inflammation, brain edema, cholinergic system dysfunction, neural cell death, and hippocampal damage. Extensive efforts are being performed to find effective drugs with the least side effects for the modulation of pathways involved in brain ischemia. In summation, represented information may be an appropriate guide to design novel therapeutic strategies for brain ischemia.