Platelet glycoprotein Ibα is an important mediator of ischemic stroke in mice

Abstract

Abstract Background Platelets play an important role in ischemic stroke. GPIbα is a major platelet receptor that is critical for platelet adhesion to exposed subendothelial matrix components at sites of vascular damage. Methods In this study, we used transgenic mice in which the extracellular part of GPIbα is replaced by human interleukin 4-receptor (GPIbα/IL4Rα). We observed normal brain vasculature in these mice. We compared infarct size in GPIbα/IL4Rα and wild-type (WT) mice 23 hours after 1-hour transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO). In addition, the functional outcome was evaluated using a modified Bederson score. Results We found a significantly smaller infarct size in GPIbα/IL4Rα mice compared to WT mice (38.0 ± 6.5 mm3 vs. 74.2 ± 8.6 mm3, p < 0.001). The decrease in infarct size was functionally relevant as indicated by a significantly better functional Bederson score in GPIbα/IL4Rα mice compared to WT animals (1.3 ± 0.4 vs. 2.7 ± 0.3, p < 0.05). Conclusions Our data illustrate and further confirm the important role of platelet GPIbα in ischemic stroke, suggesting that targeted inhibition of this receptor may open new avenues in stroke treatment.