Abstract
Our objective was to determine whether subarachnoid haemorrhage modifies cerebral artery smooth muscle cell phenotype and the contractile protein α-actin measured 7 days after haemorrhage. We used a rabbit subarachnoid haemorrhage model and immunofluorescence labelling of α-smooth muscle actin, vimentin and desmin. The paired comparison between the haemorrhage and sham rabbits was performed using confocal laser-scanning microscopy. We found in the haemorrhage group significantly less intense α-actin immunostaining (p = 0.036) and more intense vimentin immunostaining (p = 0.043) but no significant change in the intensity of desmin staining. Our results indicate an absolute decrease after subarachnoid haemorrhage in the amount of functional α-actin and in the light of the literature may suggest a certain degree of dedifferentiation of smooth muscle cells in the cerebral artery wall.
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Gomis, P., Kacem, K., Sercombe, C. et al. Confocal Microscopic Evidence of Decreased α–actin Expression within Rabbit Cerebral Artery Smooth Muscle Cells after Subarachnoid Haemorrhage. Histochem J 32, 673–678 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1004115432660
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1004115432660