Time-Course Changes and New Expressions of MIP-3α and Its Receptor, CCR6, in the Gerbil Hippocampal CA1 Area Following Transient Global Cerebral Ischemia.

Macrophage inflammatory protein-3α (MIP-3α) and its sole receptor, CCR6, play pivotal roles in neuroinflammatory processes induced by brain ischemic insults. In this study, we investigated transient ischemia-induced changes in MIP-3α and CCR6 protein expressions in the hippocampal CA1 area following 5 min of transient global cerebral ischemia (tgCI) in gerbils. Both MIP-3α and CCR6 immunoreactivities were very strongly expressed in pyramidal neurons of the CA1 area from 6 h to 1 day after tgCI and were hardly shown 4 days after tgCI. In addition, strong MIP-3α immunoreactivity was newly expressed in astrocytes 6 h after tgCI. These results indicate that tgCI causes apparent changes in MIP-3α and CCR6 expressions in pyramidal neurons and astrocytes in the hippocampal CA1 area and suggest that tgCI-induced changes in MIP-3α and CCR6 expressions might be closely associated with neuroinflammatory processes in brain ischemic regions.