Brain CD47 expression in a swine model of intracerebral hemorrhage

• Effects of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) on CD47 examined in a swine model.
• Brain CD47 levels were increased in both gray and white matter after ICH.
• CD47 was expressed on neurons, microglia/macrophages, and oliogodendrocytes, but not on astrocytes.
• Deferoxamine, an iron chelator, reduced ICH-induced CD47 upregulation.

CD47 contributes to neuronal death, inflammation and angiogenesis after brain ischemia. The role of CD47 in intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) has not been investigated and the current study examined brain CD47 expression in a pig ICH model. Pigs received a blood injection or needle insertion into the right frontal lobe and were euthanized at different times to examine CD47 expression. Pigs were also treated with an iron chelator, deferoxamine, (50 mg/kg, i.m.) or vehicle and killed at day-3 to examine the effects on CD47. ICH resulted in upregulation of brain CD47 in both white and gray matter by both immunohistochemistry and Western blot. A time-course showed ICH-induced CD47 upregulation from 4 h to day-14, with a peak at day-3. CD47 positive cells were neurons, microglia/macrophage and oliogodendrocytes. Brain CD47 levels were lower in the ipsilateral white and gray matter in pigs which had deferoxamine treatment. In conclusion, CD47 expression was increased in the perihematomal white and gray matter after ICH. Deferoxamine and iron may modulate CD47 expression.