Quantitative study of brain vessel innervation in large rodents: possible models for studying stroke

• Grant number: 05/02777-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research
• Start date: January 10, 2006
• End date: March 09, 2006
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Clinics and Surgery
• Principal Investigator: Antonio Augusto Coppi Maciel Ribeiro
• Grantee: Antonio Augusto Coppi Maciel Ribeiro
• Host Investigator: Jens Randel Nyengaard
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Aarhus University, Denmark

Abstract

The wild rodents' brain circulation shows specific features which change during the post-natal development, i.e. the atrophy of the internal carotid artery in young capybaras. However, there are no data concerning the brain blood vessels innervation and its changes during ageing in these rodents. Hence, taking very well known laboratory rodents such as rats and guinea pigs as a reference, this research aims at investigating the brain circulation aspects as well as its innervation in large Brazilian rodents such as paca and capybaras which are more allometricaly related to Humans in terms of both body surface and body weight. Furthermore, we intend to look at different models of cerebral circulation in order to shed light on the Stroke pathogenesis and as a result to improve the current Stroke therapeutic procedures used in Humans. (AU)