Ana Lucia Rodriguez-Perea
Posters-Accepted Abstracts: J Neurol Neurophysiol
Immunopathology of stroke is highly complex.Whereas is known that CD4+ and CD8+ T cells are mediators of inflammation
and neurological deficits, the role of Regulatory T cells (Treg) is still controversial. Previous evidences match in that later
cells will have a deleterious role on acute stages of ischemia, by disrupt the microvascular homeostasis. But earlier reports
suggested that in late stages havea neuroprotective effects. To evaluate the role of Treg in late stages of stroke, we injected an
anti-CD25 antibody to reduce the level of Treg in wistar rats, two days later, the ischemia was induced transiently by occlusion
of middle cerebral artery (tMCAO) during 60 minutes and evaluated 7 days post-reperfusion. Nine days after injection, a
reduction of 67.5%and 63.8% in splenic CD4+CD25+ and FOXP3+CD25+ T cells were observed respectively, along with a less
efficiency of reduction of CD4+FOXP3+ in spleen. Expression of FOXP3 in sorted splenic CD4+CD25+ cells was 34%, and only
suppressed a 25% of the proliferation of CD4+CD25- through anex vivo suppression assays in control animals. tMCAO rats
treated with anti-CD25 presented less neurological deficit and they did not develop cerebral tissue damage compared with the
PBS treated animals, which had a higher deficit and large infarcts at 7 days post reperfusion. These findings suggest that anti-
CD25 treatment in a tMCAO model in rats reduces preferentially a population of T cells with effector phenotype, more than a
Treg population, leading to neuroprotection by suppression of the the pathogenic response of effector T cells.
Funds: Colciencias 111551928730-2010
Ana Lucia Rodriguez-Perea is a Bacteriology graduated from the University of Valle (Colombia); did her MSc degree in Biomedical Sciences at the University of
Antioquia in 2011. Currently, she is doing her PhD in the same University and last years, she has been focusing on the role of Regulatory T cells in several contexts,
such as stroke and asthma. She is studying the immunomodulatory effects of molecules such as statins and HDL that could up-regulate the frequency or function
of these cells with potential uses in improving diseases where T cells responses are altered, as stroke and asthma.
