White matter activated glial cells produce BDNF in a stroke model of monkeys

Lacunar-type stroke accounts for approximately a quarter of all ischemic strokes, and is the most common cause of vascular dementia. Despite its importance, there are few specific treatments for lacunar stroke, probably due largely to a lack of animal models. In this study, we developed a stroke model in a higher primate, the Macaque monkey. This was achieved by occluding the deep subcortical penetrating arteries with agarose spheres of mean diameters around 50 μm, and the appropriateness of this model as a lacunar-type stroke was verified by MRI. We observed widespread gliosis in the ipsilateral white matter (WM) of the stroke monkey. We also analyzed the expression of neurotrophins in the activated glial cells, and found that their expression of BDNF was stimulated in the affected WM following ischemic injury. Our results support the idea that WM glial cells play an active role in protecting and promoting the regeneration of nerve fibers in the affected WM of the ischemic brain, by producing BDNF. These findings may be useful for the development of new therapeutic strategies aimed at preventing or treating stroke.